Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA

Hawksbill turtles are less common than green turtles at La Catedral but are reliably present, identified by their distinctive pointed beak and tortoiseshell-patterned carapace. They feed on sponges colonizing the arch walls, and their specialized diet means they occupy a unique ecological niche that other reef herbivores cannot fill. As critically endangered animals, their presence at a site with minimal fishing pressure and no boat traffic immediately over the arch represents a genuine conservation win for the region.