Here they seek shelter in the ledges and caves of coral reef systems. They also eat the sponges which are commonly found on reefs. After courtship and mating, it's nesting time for the female hawksbills. Their six month nesting season between July and October is longer than that of other sea turtles. When the babies begin to crack out of their eggs, the hawksbill life cycle begins again.
Sea turtles are the heaviest aquatic reptiles alive today.
Instead of feet sea turtles have fins which they can't pull into their shells. Like land turtles they have a protective shell but even that is different. On the Kemp's ridley turtle, the scutes are usually an olive gray color. Although some types of sea turtles can be found around the world, the Kemp's ridley doesn't get around much and primarily stays in the coastal waters and bays of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They forage around shallow areas with sandy or muddy bottoms to root out their favorite food crabs.