Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtle Sightings

Hawai’i is a wonderful place to view sea turtles! The most common is the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), known as “honu” in Hawaiian. Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), known as “honu’ea”, can also be found in the same habitats but with significantly less frequency.

The Hawaiian Hawksbill Conservation photo-ID catalog (1998-present) consists of over 200 individuals throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Utilizing photo-ID (unique facial and flipper scale pattern matching) allows us to non-obtrusively track individuals. This provides insight into their movements, behaviors, dietary needs, threats, and survival.

Remember: endangered species are protected by Federal and State laws and should never be chased or harassed. The perfect photos are those taken from at least 10 ft away that show the entire turtle from both sides (right and left) and the dorsal (top) view so the tops of the flippers are visible.

This is a purely scientific endeavor with no commercial aims. Full credit will be given to all photographers used in these analyses. If you contribute photos of a new individual to the catalog, you get to choose a name for it!