Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Photo: Marguerite Trost · © all rights reserved

Hawksbills here forage on the sponges and soft corals that drape the mid-reef boulders, and several individuals have become so habituated to divers that they continue feeding within arm's reach. They are critically endangered globally but the Weligama bay population appears stable thanks to relatively low fishing pressure inside the bay. Encounters typically last 10 to 20 minutes as individuals rest between feeding bouts, resting on sandy ledges at 6 to 10 metres.