Diet

• Primarily feeds on marine sponges, which make up the majority of its diet.

• Also consumes sea anemones, soft corals, jellyfish, sea squirts, algae, molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish.

• Its narrow, hawk-like beak allows it to reach deep into coral crevices to extract prey unavailable to most other sea turtles.

Range

• Found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.

• Along the eastern Pacific, it occurs from the Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Mexico south through Central America to Peru.

• Although less common than the Green Sea Turtle, it occurs along the Pacific coast of Guerrero, including the Zihuatanejo region, particularly around rocky reefs, coral communities, and mangrove estuaries.

• Small nesting populations occur on Mexico's Pacific coast.

Habitat

• Inhabits coral reefs, rocky reefs, lagoons, mangrove estuaries, seagrass beds, and coastal bays.

• Juveniles spend several years in the open ocean before moving into shallow coastal habitats.

• Adult females nest on remote sandy beaches, usually beneath or near coastal vegetation.

Size

• Carapace length: 70–90 cm (28–35 in)

• Weight: 45–80 kg (99–176 lb), with exceptionally large individuals reaching 90 kg (198 lb).