Hawksbill Turtle

Eretmochelys imbriacata Critically endangered This one million year old species grows to 90-150 lbs. Tortoiseshell, the beautiful scutes of the carapace and plastron of the Hawksbill turtle, has been prized since ancient times. Surrounded by legend, tortoiseshell has been described as “one of the romantic articles of commerce, not only because of where it comes from, but because of the creatures from which it is obtained and the people engaged in the trade”. Lithograph, 2018