Study Uncovers Endangered Hawksbill Turtle Migration Secrets

A new study published by researchers at Loma Linda University School of Medicine discovered that hawksbill turtles from as far away as Panama and Costa Rica are returning to forage off the northeastern coast of Honduras, a region that appears to be a major hotspot — not just for hawksbills, but also for green and loggerhead turtles from across the Caribbean.

The study, led by Stephen G. Dunbar, PhD, professor of Earth and Biological Sciences, used satellite telemetry to track 15 hawksbill turtles from one beach in Honduras, two beaches in Costa Rica, and one beach in Panama to trace their migration routes. The data provides insights into how these sea turtles use the marine areas just offshore of their nesting grounds and helps identify where their paths may overlap with industrial fishing zones — areas that pose significant threats to the turtles’ survival.

By tracking the movements of endangered hawksbill turtles in the Western Caribbean, the team was searching for insights into the species’ migration routes, nesting behaviors, and feeding grounds that could help lead to population recovery.

“Hawksbill turtles nesting along the Caribbean coasts of Central American countries use the shallow continental shelves of this region for their migration routes back to their regular feeding grounds,” Dunbar said. “Based on our findings, the turtles may actually be using local currents to reduce the energy they expend to make the long migrations back home.”

Although all the turtles in the study migrated northward, several of the study turtles made their way to the same feeding area in the Nicaragua Rise. This shows that hawksbills are very faithful to returning to their established foraging grounds, despite long distances and strong ocean currents.

While previous studies have examined sea turtle migration, the migration and movement patterns of hawksbills are the least well-known. Hawksbill turtles travel hundreds of kilometers between nesting and foraging habitats, alter direction based on ocean currents, and congregate in the same feeding areas regardless of their nesting sites throughout the years.

This species of sea turtle is known for their colorful shells and, unfortunately, have been hunted and targeted to be used in jewelry and décor. Over the last 80 years, the number of hawksbills in the Caribbean has been reduced by more than 90% and continues to decline across the globe. Despite international trade bans and protections on nesting beaches, the species remains listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threated Species.

Dunbar has been working with sea turtle research and conservation since 2006 and was inspired to begin sea turtle research when he met local resort owners in Roatan, Honduras, who were working to rescue hawksbill and green sea turtles. That grassroots effort evolved into ProTECTOR, Inc., a nonprofit focused on training, outreach, and research.

“We started small — tagging, studying, and releasing turtles — and realized how little was known about sea turtles in Honduras,” he said. “That inspired my life’s work. I just don’t want to see these creatures vanish from the waters they’ve inhabited for millennia.”

These kinds of studies with other researchers, communities, and conservation biologists ensure that we can continue to share the ocean with sea turtles for the foreseeable future.

This study was in collaboration with Protective Turtle Ecology Center for Training, Outreach and Research, Inc (ProTECTOR, Inc.) and co-authors from Purdue University, the Seattle Aquarium, the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Marine Biosciences of Trinidad de Moravia, and the Leatherback Trust.

Learn more about the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences.