Architect of the reefs
Hawksbill (carey)
Scientific name: Eretmochelys imbricata
The hawksbill swims among corals like someone looking after their home. Its narrow beak lets it eat sponges from the cracks in the reef, and in doing so it leaves room for new corals to grow.
That’s why every hawksbill that returns to the sea is also a reef that can breathe. #YoNoComproCarey
10 facts
It is critically endangered (CR) in Colombia.
It was the first sea turtle protected by a ban in Colombia, in 1977.
It is the architect of the reefs: it eats sponges and, by doing so, clears space for coral larvae to settle.
Its shell has been used for crafts, kitchen tools and spurs for fighting roosters.
Its shell does not "shed": that is a lie told by vendors. To get it, the turtle has to be killed.
In 2016, together with the community, we identified the main hawksbill feeding area of the Colombian Pacific in La Plata, Bahía Málaga.
That is also where the first adult female hawksbill for the Colombian Pacific was later reported.
In Urabá, Bobalito beach is its largest nesting area on the continental Caribbean, with no more than about 60 nests per season.
Its main feeding area on the continental Caribbean lies between San Bernardo and Isla Fuerte.
The juvenile hawksbills of Isla Fuerte are helping us understand the turtles' "lost years".
Where it lives in Colombia
In the Caribbean and the Pacific. It feeds between San Bernardo and Isla Fuerte and in La Plata (Bahía Málaga); it nests at Bobalito (Urabá) and on the Seaflower cays.
You'll find it in
What it teaches us
That a living reef depends on many hands, including the ones that choose not to buy what they shouldn't.
How you can help
- Never buy hawksbill shell (carey): no jewelry, no combs, no souvenirs. If you go to the coast, remember: don't buy carey!
- Use the SEE Shell app to tell real hawksbill shell from imitations.
- If you see hawksbill shell for sale, report it to the Policía Nacional or your regional environmental authority.
How you can help
Never buy hawksbill shell (carey): no jewelry, no combs, no souvenirs. If you go to the coast, remember: don't buy carey!