Which sea turtle nests on islands of the Great Barrier Reef and is named for its hooked bill?

The hawksbill sea turtle nests on islands of the Great Barrier Reef and is named for its hooked bill.

Hawksbills have a narrow head, overlapping scales on their shell and a distinctive beak-like mouth that resembles a hawk’s bill. They often forage around coral reefs and rocky habitats, where their diet can include sponges and other invertebrates.

The Great Barrier Reef supports important hawksbill feeding and nesting habitat, especially around tropical islands. Females return to beaches to lay clutches of eggs, generally nesting several times during a season before leaving the area.

Hawksbills are critically endangered globally. They are sometimes confused with green turtles, which are also important in the Great Barrier Reef region but have a different rounded head and are the only predominantly herbivorous sea turtle found there.