Hawksbill Sea Turtle: protection and preservation
Our oceans are suffering. Rarely a day goes past without seeing an image on social media of the impact of humans on marine life.
Unfortunately, some species have reached the level of critically endangered as a result of our actions. One example is the Hawksbill Sea Turtle or Honu’ea.
What is a Hawksbill Sea Turtle?
Named for their narrow and pointed beak, Hawksbill Sea Turtles are the less common cousin of green sea turtles.
They are found throughout in tropical oceans, the world over and live in coral reefs. Here, their pointed beaks are used to extract sponges for food. However, they do also eat jellyfish and anemones.
They are a vital part of the reef eco-system, as sponges are otherwise largely uneaten by other creatures and can block access to reef fish.
Why they are suffering?
Their nesting grounds are in danger. Trash and human activity on their usual nesting beaches are making it hard for females to come to shore to lay their eggs. In Hawai’i, there were instances of females and hatchlings being run over by cars on a road that ran adjacent to a beach.
Furthermore, due to their attractive shell patterns, they are popular in the illegal trade market. Being made into jewelry and other collectibles.
What is being done to protect them?
The Hawai’i Wildlife Fund (HWF) is committed to the conservation and protection of this rare species and in 1996 launched the Hawksbill Recovery Project.
Local efforts included fences along beaches to guide the turtles away from the road, monitoring and research projects, and volunteer action.
During nesting season teams of volunteers are present day and night to ensure that females safely reach the beaches and hatchlings make it safely to the ocean.
What you can do to help?
The responsibility for the oceans rests with us all. Luckily there are a few things that you can do to help:
Use beaches responsibly – The HWF offer guidance for being around Hawksbills and how to use the beaches. The main advice is to take your rubbish home with you and stay at least 5 metres away from them at all times.
Report any sightings or distressed turtles. You can send any pictures you capture of the turtles whilst diving to the HWF too. This helps them track and monitor their movements. In addition, if you find an injured turtle they can come out and investigate.
Donate to the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund – their good work requires funding - by virtually adopting a turtle.
Purchase clothing or artisan jewelry through The Honu Shirt Company – The Official Partner of the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. Shirts made from recycled plastic bottles fished from the ocean and 100% of the net profits go to the HWF.
A better time for Hawksbill Sea Turtle is coming
Through the good work of the HWF, and other organisations around the world, there is hope that there will come a time when Hawksbills will no longer find themselves on the critically endangered list. But until then, there is still work to do.
By: Charlotte Juk
B.Sc. - Mathematics, M.A. - Advanced Educational Practice from University of East Anglia, United Kingdom