Hawaiʻi Island Hawksbill Project

The Hawai'i Island Hawksbill Project (HIHP) is based at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in Volcano, HI.

Since 1989, volunteers from around the world and members of the local community have aided project biologists with monitoring and protecting nesting hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Within the Hawaiian archipelago, approximately 90% of all documented hawksbill nesting activity occurs along the southern coastline of Hawaiʻi Island. A total of 195 nesting hawksbills have been tagged since 1991. Hawaiian hawksbills are considered one of the rarest populations of sea turtles in the world. Each nesting season only 10 to 15 nesting hawksbills and 40 to 80 nests are documented.