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Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: Satellite Tracking - Week of July 11
Bonaire Talk: Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: STCB (Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire): Satellite Tracking - Week of July 11
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (BonaireTalker - Post #86) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 8:53 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Extra is moving already. Robert's message is posted below.

Andy

*********************************************
Dear Friends,

Things can happen fast in the turtle world and we are now actively tracking a big female loggerhead (kawama) -now named 'Extra'- as she swims away from Bonaire in a northwest direction, towards Jamaica.

On the morning of Friday 9 July we caught 'Extra' on the reef in front of Klein Bonaire, where she is known to nest, and placed a transmitter onto her carapace. Apparently that same night she nested on Klein Bonaire and then the following afternoon started to move away. We knew that the loggerhead nesting season is about to end, but didn't expect to see action so fast! The latest location for 'Extra' places her north of Aruba, some 175 km northwest of Bonaire.

This loggerhead was named 'Extra' after the newspaper on Bonaire, because of the editor's outstanding support of the turtle tracking project. Through their nearly daily coverage, the paper has stimulated great interest in turtle issues on and around Bonaire. By highlighting the spectacular migration of 'our' sea turtles, we are seeing a renewed respect for these animals, now again one of the symbols of Bonaire.

We will keep you updated as much as possible. Turtle tracking info will also be available on our website, redesigned courtesy of Hanny Kalk and Gijs Hoogerkamp, and will also soon appear on www.seaturtle.org.

Thanks for your interest,

Robert P van Dam

Project Director
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

phone (599) 717 2225
cellular (599) 790 0433
email stcb@bonaireturtles.org
website www.bonaireturtles.org

map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (BonaireTalker - Post #88) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 9:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Another turtle has been fitted with a transmitter.

Andy

***********************************************
Dear Friends,

Our big loggerhead female, now named 'Extra', is continuing her way towards the northwest, now near Aruba and some 210 km away from Bonaire. She is swimming about 80 km per day, which seems very fast for a loggerhead.

Today we attached a transmitter to a male hawksbill turtle (karet) that we caught at Ebo's Reef, Klein Bonaire. Male sea turtles almost never return to land after entering the water as hatchlings and very little is known about their behavior. Male hawksbills are thought to breed every year, as opposed to females who return only every 2-3 years. Also, males may not travel as far as females, because of their need to return to the breeding area every year. Male sea turtles are known to depart from the breeding area earlier than females, which is why a male was selected for transmitter placement now, while it is still early in the hawksbill nesting season.

Tracking of this hawksbill turtle is made possible through a full sponsorship provided by Bob Bartikoski of REMAX Bonaire. This hawksbill is named 'Tom' in memory of Bob's brother, who was a resident of Bonaire. 'Tom' the turtle is expected to remain for a while around Klein Bonaire in active pursuit of the lady turtles.

I will keep you posted,

Robert P van Dam

Project Director
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

phone (599) 717 2225
cellular (599) 790 0433
email stcb@bonaireturtles.org
website www.bonaireturtles.org

pic
map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1075) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 10:16 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks so much for these postings! It is a lot of fun and very interesting to watch their journies!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #625) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 2:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andy

Thank you, I look forward to your reports

Brian

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3776) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 8:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks, again, Andy....these critters just fascinate me and I am amazed at how quickly they move and get to their destinations. Simply amazing creatures! Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (BonaireTalker - Post #89) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 8:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Update for July 14th.

Andy

----------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,

The big loggerhead 'Extra' remains on course towards the northwest, now well away from Aruba and some 300 km from Klein Bonaire. She is swimming about 80 km per day.

In the meantime, the male hawksbill 'Tom' is still with us at Klein Bonaire and transmitting well.

I will keep you posted,

Robert P van Dam

Project Director
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

phone (599) 717 2225
cellular (599) 790 0433
email stcb@bonaireturtles.org
website www.bonaireturtles.org

map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3782) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 8:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Just amazing.....Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (BonaireTalker - Post #90) on Friday, July 16, 2004 - 8:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Update for July 15.
FYI, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) has a new website at: http://www.bonairenature.com/turtles/

Tracking information is being posted there on an almost daily basis. Since this year's goal is to fit at least 4 turtles with tramsmitters, posting the information here is going to become too arduous. At sometime in the not too distant future, I will only be posting notices of significant happenings and providing a link to the STCB website.

Andy

----------------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

'Extra' continues to move towards the northwest, now at 380 km from Klein Bonaire and swimming at a steady 80 km per day. The attached map shows a little more context as she moves through deep water.

Male hawksbill 'Tom' remains with us at Klein Bonaire.

I will keep you posted,
Robert P van Dam

Project Director
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

phone (599) 717 2225
cellular (599) 790 0433
email stcb@bonaireturtles.org
website www.bonaireturtles.org

map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3786) on Friday, July 16, 2004 - 10:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you for making us aware of the new site, Andy. We will continue to watch their progress over there. Thanks again for your efforts and dedication! Ayo. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11736) on Friday, July 16, 2004 - 9:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andy, truly amazing again, thank you for the information, and reading about the turtle "Tom" brought tears to my eyes...to know that Tom is swimming around the waters of Bonaire is truly wonderful:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (BonaireTalker - Post #92) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 9:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Update for July 17

Andy

--------------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

The loggerhead 'Extra' keeps going strong, now nearly 600 km from Bonaire. She continues swimming about 80 km per day, now in a west-north-westerly direction that puts her on a course towards Belize or Honduras. She is in deep open water and we expect her to continue to swim many hundreds of kilometers further in order to reach a suitable feeding habitat.

Meanwhile, the male hawksbill 'Tom' remains at Klein Bonaire near the nesting beach.

I will keep you posted,

Robert P van Dam

Project Director
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

phone (599) 717 2225
cellular (599) 790 0433
email stcb@bonaireturtles.org
website www.bonaireturtles.org

map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3795) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 1:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks, Andy! I was watching a show on cable tv last night following a loggerhead hatchling on her first voyage out into the sea....totally fascinating and educating.

Dummy me can't recall the exact channel....AE? It appeared to be one part of several oceanic episodes. Done very well. Carole

 


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