Juveniles eat both plant and animal matter, but older animals are unique amongst sea turtles in being the only strict herbivores, feeding almost exclusively on sea grasses and algae. The green turtle is the dominant sea turtle species on the Bermuda platform. Immature animals can be found feeding on lush sea grass pastures among beautiful coral reefs. The hawksbill turtle has a highly prized ornate shell and a birdlike beak for which it gets its name. It is one of the smaller sea turtle species.
Hawksbills feed almost exclusively on sponges that are loaded with glasslike spicules.
Immature animals are not uncommon amongst the coral reefs surrounding Bermuda. These animals are exploited in other parts of the world for their shell, meat and eggs and are Critically Endangered. Hawksbill turtles in Bermuda are occasionally captured during project field trips but more often, they are encountered by cooperating recreational divers licenced to take lobsters. This species has a large, broad head and powerful jaws, which it uses to dine on shellfish. They eat crabs, clams, mussels, shrimp, sea urchins, squid, jellyfish and are even capable of crushing very thick-shelled conchs.