Amidst the Lattice of the Reef

The Hawksbill Turtle (Erytmochelys imbricata) belongs to a group of modern marine reptiles called sea turtles (Chelonioidea). It evolved, along with the six other species of marine turtles that exist today, from five known lineages that inhabited the earth as long as 105 million years ago. Their biology is so peculiar that they have found their way into mythology and folklore around the world. Turtles have been revered like no other animal, except perhaps creatures born from imagination. Turtles are intimately linked to water, time, the moon, fertility and the earth in various stories. In some cultures they are associated with the creation of the world and are believed to bear the burden of the entire planet. However fantastical their association with the elements, there are certain truths, which connect them to each myth and the foundation of the planet itself.