Hawksbill Turtle Shell

We have a hawksbill turtle shell in our Natural History Collection, which was found washed up on the sand at Kilifi in Kenya.

The hawksbill sea turtle is critically endangered. It is named for its narrow, pointed beak. It has a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on its shell that forms a serrated look at the edges. These patterned shells are commonly sold as "tortoiseshell" in markets