Female Loggerhead Turtle, “Wiske”, is the First to be Tracked During Bonaire’s 2008 Nesting Season
Sea turtles have started to breed on Bonaire again, which means that the big adult turtles are back on the reefs of Klein Bonaire and along Bonaire’s southwest coast. Adult turtles come to Klein Bonaire for only a few months every two to three years, migrating from their feeding grounds far away.
To adequately protect sea turtles in all their habitats, we must learn more about their migratory patterns, their behavior at sea, and where their marine habitats are located. This is where the technology of satellite telemetry becomes useful and important in protecting sea turtles.
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) plans to place two transmitters on turtles in 2008. On June 19, the first of these transmitters was attached on a large adult female loggerhead turtle. This animal was found resting just off the dive site “Knife” at Klein Bonaire, then caught by STCB staff and volunteers and lifted on board the research boat “Nancy Too” for transmitter attachment.
The female loggerhead has a shell length of 96 cm and is estimated to weigh about 120 kg. Adult loggerhead turtles come to Bonaire to breed from May through July. The turtle is expected to remain in the area and lay two or more nests before departing to her home feeding grounds.
Tracking of this loggerhead turtle is being made possible by a full sponsorship provided by the Rotterdam Zoo. The Zoo has decided to call her “Wiske.”
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire exists to ensure the protection and recovery of Bonaire’s sea turtle populations throughout their range. Founded in 1992, the STCB is a Bonaire-based, non-governmental and non-profit organization, part of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network. (Source: STCB)
