LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATIONS BY THE HAWKSBILL TURTLE, ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA, FROM NORTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA

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 ne ighbouring countries including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Gui nea and Indonesia. Migratory distances between foraging areas and nest ing beaches ranged from 368 to 2425 km. A review of data from tag reco veries, genetic analysis and satellite telemetry indicates that adult female hawksbill turtles often exhibit migratory behaviour parallellin g that of other marine turtle species. This study refutes the myth tha t hawksbill turtles remain resident at reefs associated with their nes ting beaches.