Hawksbill turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
Where to see it
On the reef itself, picking at sponges along the walls and coral heads. West End dive shops logged more than a thousand turtle sightings in one summer in 2014.
When
All year; nesting roughly May to November
Status
Critically Endangered
The reef turtle: smaller than a green turtle, with a narrow, hooked beak for picking sponges out of crevices and an overlapping, serrated shell that was once the tortoiseshell trade. That trade is why it is Critically Endangered worldwide, and why seeing one on an ordinary dive off Roatan still feels like a privilege, even though West End dive shops logged more than a thousand turtle sightings in a single summer in 2014.
Hawksbills feed on Roatan's reefs all year, so divers and snorkelers meet them in every season. Nesting runs roughly May to November on the quieter beaches such as Paya Bay and Camp Bay, with hatchlings about two months later. There is no hatchling tour to book; if you find a nest, leave it and tell the Roatan Marine Park.