Hawksbill Turtle

Photo: Tom Vierus · © all rights reserved

Hawksbill turtles are resident on Daviqele Wall, using their narrow, pointed beaks to extract sponges and other invertebrates from crevices in the reef — a dietary specialisation that gives this species a unique ecological role in controlling sponge populations on coral reefs. Individuals here are familiar with divers and will continue feeding undisturbed when approached slowly from below or to the side. Hawksbills are critically endangered globally, and Fiji represents one of the Pacific's remaining nesting strongholds, with nesting beaches on Kadavu itself forming part of an important breeding corridor.