Hawksbill turtle

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) takes its name from the shingle-like, overlapping horny plates of its shell, marbled in amber and brown – the very pattern the world knows as "tortoiseshell". Smaller and slimmer than the green sea turtle, its surest field mark is the head: a narrow, pointed, bird-of-prey beak that lets it reach into the tightest coral crevices.

And that beak is its secret: sponges make up most of the hawksbill's diet – food defended by glassy needles and toxins, which almost nothing else will eat. By grazing down the fast-growing sponges it performs an invaluable service to the reef, freeing up space for the slower-growing corals. The species is critically endangered worldwide – precisely because of the trade in its beautiful shell – which makes every encounter a gift.

On Hurghada's reefs it is fortunately still a regular sight: calmly grazing individuals turn up almost weekly in the coral gardens of the Giftun Islands, along the El Fanadir wall and on the Carless Reef plateau. If you find one, stay to the side and keep still: never block a turtle's path when it rises to breathe, and never touch it – a relaxed hawksbill will feast in one spot for half an hour, and few better photo subjects exist underwater. You can often meet it while snorkeling over the shallow reef tops too.