On the shoulder of Blacktip Wall reef in 85 feet of water, a very large hawksbill turtle speeds past us and disappears over the reef top above.

We saw very few turtles on this trip but this was the biggest hawksbill I had ever seen. I had to take a very close look at the rear part of its carapace and look for the distinctive serrated stern of this fellow to assure myself that this was, indeed, a hawksbill.