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Underside of Hawksbill Turtle Eating in Coral Head
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While diving the Calabas II reef on Bonaire, we came accross this small Hawksbill Turtle (approx. 22-24" including it's head). Careful not to disturb it's natural behavior, we followed as it searched for food in the corals. Hawksbills have a narrow head with jaws meeting at an acute angle, adapted for getting food from crevices in coral reefs. They eat sponges, tunicates, shrimps, and squids. At one point, this Hawksbill Turtle stuck it's head (and shoulders) in a coral and thrashed around, happily munching on (what we believe was) a small sponge. After several minutes, we almost thought it had gotten stuck, but when it finished eating, it pulled itself out and continued on it's way.
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