Sunday, July 15, 2007

First Turtle Tracked From Bonaire This Nesting Season Is the Female Hawksbill “Eloise”

Working in teams, staff and volunteers from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) intercepted a large female hawksbill turtle as she came ashore at 10:30 pm on Thursday, 12 July 2007 at No Name Beach on Klein Bonaire. Working into the early morning hours, “Eloise” was released back into the sea at 2:30 am with a satellite transmitter attached to her carapace. This is the first turtle that will be tracked this nesting season. 

This past November, Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, visited Bonaire and offered to sponsor the tracking of one of our sea turtles. At that time she requested that the turtle be named after one of her granddaughters, Eloise.

“Eloise” measured 86.2 cm (33.9 inches) straight carapace length and her weight is estimated to be in excess of 100 kg (220 lb). Typically it takes anywhere from 15 to 30 years for a sea turtle to reach maturity and they can live to be 60 years old or greater. STCB staff originally tagged “Eloise” in June 2004 in the waters off Klein Bonaire when she last came here to nest.

This was the third nest “Eloise” laid this season with her last nesting being on 2 July. It is anticipated that she will lay one or more nests before she leaves the area to return to her home foraging grounds.

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:  Seat Turtle Conservation Bonaire)