Hawksbill Turtle

Photo: Fundación Tierra Ibérica · CC BY-NC

Hawksbill turtles frequent the deeper spur and groove formations at Ervatão from 15 to 30 m, feeding on the sponges and soft corals that encrust the rocky ridges. Their numbers at this site are smaller than the loggerhead population but individuals are highly resident, with the same animals regularly identified by facial pattern across multiple dive seasons. The reef's sponge community is unusually diverse for this latitude, likely supporting a higher hawksbill density than nearby sites.