Hawksbill sea turtle

Photo: Mary Wholey · CC BY-NC

Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered reptiles that feed almost exclusively on sponges, playing an irreplaceable role in keeping sponge populations in check and allowing corals to maintain space on the reef. The pinnacles at Babylon provide exactly the sponge-rich habitat they prefer, and resident individuals are habituated to divers. Their narrow, pointed beak is uniquely adapted to extract sponge tissue from crevices that other reef animals cannot access.