Feeding Behavior
Hawksbill sea turtles are omnivorous with a diet that consists primarily of sponges. They are selective feeders choosing only certain species of sponges of which are toxic to other animals. Sea jellies and other coelenterates are also common prey for hawksbill turtles. They also eat mollusks, small fish, sea urchins, marine algae and crustaceans. and other sea plants and animals. A preferred feeding ground of the hawksbills is in shallow shoals abundant with brown algae. They use their pointed beaks to grab algae off of rocks and small cervices.