Mo Ganji: Hawksbill Sea Turtle | Echte Karettschildkröte | Eretmochelys imbricata | No. 094/250 from work group 8/99

Hawksbill Sea Turtle | Echte Karettschildkröte | Eretmochelys imbricata

Mo Ganji’s single line considers the Hawksbill sea turtle — a marine reptile with a narrow, hooked beak adapted to feeding among coral reefs — through an act of deliberate reduction. The continuous line offers a restrained suggestion of form, enough to indicate a living presence while remaining open to readings beyond the familiar image of “turtle.” By letting surface detail fall away, the drawing allows essence to appear before function, beauty or symbolism take precedence.

Eretmochelys imbricata is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, the species is closely associated with coral reef ecosystems, where it plays an important ecological role by feeding on sponges. Global populations have declined dramatically over the past century.

The primary threats include illegal harvesting for its ornate shell, used historically in the tortoiseshell trade, incidental capture in fishing gear, loss and degradation of coral reefs, and the destruction of nesting beaches. Climate change further compounds these pressures by altering ocean temperatures and sand conditions critical for successful reproduction.

Ganji’s single line opens a space in which the turtle can be encountered beyond ornament, rarity or utility. It invites attention to a presence shaped by slow movement and long continuity, quietly reminding us that human desire and classification have often stripped meaning from the lives they name — and that recognizing ourselves as part of the same marine systems may be the first step toward allowing such ancient beings to endure.