Miller et al., 1998:

"Tag recoveries from four adult female hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, tagged on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, are reported.  Hawksbill turtles on breeding migrations move between Australia and neighbouring countries including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.  Migratory distances between foraging areas and nesting beaches ranged from 368 to 2425 km.  A review of data from tag recoveries, genetic analysis and satellite telemetry indicates that adult female hawksbill turtles often exhibit migratory behaviour paralleling that of other marine turtle species.  This study refutes the myth that hawksbill turtles remain resident at reefs associated with their nesting beaches.

Combined results of diverse studies using conventional tagging, genetics and satellite telemetry provide irrefutable evidence that the breeding hawksbill turtle is as migratory as breeding adults of the other marine turtle species.  Hawksbill turtles foraging or nesting in the northern GBR are part of larger geographic stocks, utilising reef habitats and nesting beaches in a range of countries encompassing Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (Vaughan and Spring 1980; Parmenter 1983; Broderick et al. 1994; present study).  This means that Australia is sharing hawksbill turtle populations with its neighbours.  Turtles that have a high conservation status under Australian legislation are intensely hunted in neighbouring countries (Groombridge and Luxmoore 1989)".

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Citation and/or URL

Miller, J.D., Dobbs, K.A., Limpus, C.J., Mattocks, N., and Landry, A.M. Jr. (1998). Long-distance migrations by the Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, from north-eastern Australia. Wildlife Research, 25; 89-95.  © CSIRO 1998. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Austalia.  http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/paper/WR96086.htm

Spatial Coverage

North-eastern Australia and Indo-Pacific

Temporal Coverage

1989-1993

Update Frequency

Not applicable 

Other Information

None