“Male hawksbill sea turtle “Recapture”: The records reveal a side of the ocean that remained unseen based solely on traces of female spawning. An adult male tagged in the Gulf of Paria, Venezuela, was sighted again 727 days later, just 1.6 km from the initial capture site. This marks the first instance of a locally tagged individual being recaptured in the area. This record reveals a side of the ocean that remained unseen through the traces of female nesting alone. An adult male tagged in Venezuela’s Gulf of Paria was sighted again 727 days later, just 1.6 km from the initial capture site. This marks the first instance of a locally tagged individual being recaptured in the area.
At first glance, the figures might seem insignificant. However, male sea turtles are harder to track than females because they do not come ashore to nest. This case provides direct evidence that adult males are present in coastal waters near major nesting sites during the breeding season. Nevertheless, the recapture of a single individual is insufficient to draw conclusions regarding site fidelity or population size.
30-Second Summary
- An adult male hawksbill sea turtle, tagged on June 26, 2023, was sighted again on June 22, 2025.
- The interval between the two records was 727 days, with a straight-line distance of approximately 1.6 km.
- Researchers captured nine sea turtles during their survey and added 15 records of incidental captures based on verified reports from local fishermen.
- The carapace length and width of the recaptured individual measured 75 cm and 64 cm, respectively, on both occasions.
- While this case confirms the presence of males in the area during the breeding season, it does not establish site fidelity, return cycles, or population size.
What happened?
International journal Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science A record of a male hawksbill sea turtle recapture in Venezuela’s Gulf of Paria was released on September 9, 2026; the initial capture site was the Gulf of Los Garzos, The recapture site is near the small island of Las Garcitas. The two locations are approximately 1.6 km apart.
Target Species Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Hawksbill sea turtle |
| English name | Hawksbill turtle |
| Scientific name | Eretmochelys imbricata |
| Classification | Order Testudines, Family Cheloniidae |
| Distribution | Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The study site is the Gulf of Paria, Venezuela. |
| Conservation Status | “IUCN Critically Endangered (CR); U.S. ESA Endangered. |
Combining Bi-weekly Net Surveys with Fishermen’s Records
The research team conducted underwater net surveys at approximately two-week intervals from April 2023 to June 2025. They personally captured nine sea turtles: six juvenile green sea turtles, one adult male green sea turtle, and two adult male hawksbill sea turtles. The capture rate was 0.15 turtles per hour.
In addition, the team verified 15 cases of incidental capture reported by local fishermen and compiled them as a separate dataset. It is important to note that the research survey data and the fishery records were kept distinct rather than being combined into a single sample pool. Regarding recaptured individuals, tags V001M (right front flipper) and V002M (left) were attached in 2023. By 2025, only V001M remained, and new tags—V051M and V052M—were added.
What Has Been Confirmed and What Remains Unknown?
The confirmed facts are simple yet significant. The same adult male was recaptured in the same coastal area nearly two years later, and courtship and mating behaviors were observed opportunistically during the breeding season. This provides a basis for considering the waters used by males—an aspect often overlooked in studies focused solely on female nesting sites—as actual management units.
However, the fact that the turtle was ‘rediscovered nearby’ should not be immediately interpreted as evidence of residency or strong site fidelity. The movement path between the two capture events was not tracked, and the possibility remains that the turtle utilized the open ocean or other waters during the interim. The finding that carapace dimensions remained identical must also be considered alongside the short observation interval for an adult and potential measurement errors.
Why is this important?
Sea turtle conservation is not achieved solely by protecting nesting beaches. It is also necessary to understand the shallow waters where adult males stay or pass through during the breeding season, their migration routes that overlap with fishing gear, and their foraging grounds. This study demonstrates that small-scale coastal surveys and cooperation with fishermen can be a practical way to accumulate rare records of males.
The next step is to integrate satellite tracking, longer-term mark-recapture data, photo-identification, and genetic data. Doing so will allow us to answer specific questions: whether this male repeatedly visits the area, what population connectivity it shares with females at nearby nesting sites, and during which seasons exposure to fisheries is highest. As this study focuses on a wild population, it does not provide a basis for directly applying the findings to the management of captive or pet sea turtles.
Limitations and Unresolved Questions
- The recapture involved a single male hawksbill sea turtle on one occasion; therefore, it does not represent the behavior of the entire population.
- The actual movement path and whether the animal remained outside the designated waters during the 727-day period are unknown.
- Reports from fishermen serve as valuable supplementary data, but because factors such as fishing gear, effort, and the likelihood of sighting vary, they differ from data used to estimate population size.
- Sex ratio, reproductive success, and genetic connectivity to spawning grounds were not directly measured in this study.
Four key takeaways for readers
- Observational data for male sea turtles are far more limited than for females because males do not come ashore.
- An adult male in the Gulf of Paria was recaptured approximately 1.6 km away after 727 days.
- “Data from researcher surveys and verified records from fishermen were compiled separately but integrated into the dataset.
- Recapturing a single individual provides an important clue, but it does not prove site fidelity or population size.
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Original source, DOI, and references
- Frontiers original paper: First local flipper-tag recapture of a male hawksbill turtle near a major rookery in the Gulf of Paria, Venezuela — DOI 10.3389/famrs.2026.1818436
- Frontiers open-access original text — 2026-09-09
- IUCN Red List assessment for hawksbill sea turtles
- NOAA Fisheries species information on hawksbill sea turtles
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