Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata - Resting with a Remora

A Hawksbill Sea Turtle rests on the reef with a remora lying across its patterned carapace.

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) has a streamlined body protected by an oval to slightly heart-shaped carapace and powerful paddle-like flippers. Its narrow head ends in a distinctive pointed, hooked beak, well adapted for reaching food hidden within cracks and crevices of coral and rocky reefs. The carapace is typically patterned in amber, brown, yellow and darker shades, with overlapping scutes producing a characteristic tiled appearance. Hawksbills inhabit tropical and subtropical coastal waters, particularly coral reefs, lagoons and rocky habitats, and feed mainly on sponges together with other marine invertebrates and algae. Adults generally reach around 60–90 centimetres in shell length. In this photograph, a remora or suckerfish rests on the turtle’s carapace while the turtle lies quietly on the reef.