Robert isn't issuing daily updates since neither Nautila or Schillie have moved in the last several days.

Of special interest is the fact that Schillie laid yet another nest on No Name Beach Monday night. Assuming that she will not nest again, she should be leaving the area anytime now and we will get to follow her journey home.

Nautila, as last reported, is still on the Navidad Banks.


Andy

Thx Andy!
Great news. Let's hope Schillie's little ones will survive and let's hope we all will be abe 2 visit them often on Bonaire

Thankyou Andrew for you efforts - I look forward to tracking Schillie.

I am hoping to see Schillie if she is about next week. Our first dives will be this Sunday.

Regards

Brian

Brian...go ahead and rub it in a little more...Andy, thanks for the updates, it will be interesting to see where they head once they begin moving again!

Blub blub blub blud and bld bld bld and bluuud when finished taking pictures of Schillie.

Sorry Cynde (ish).

No snow in the our bit of the UK yet but daily frosts. 83 degree water - I can feel it now. mmmmmmm

Good luck to both Nautila & Schillie

Update for Dec. 17
-----------------------------------------


Dear Friends,

We are now tracking our second transmittered turtle, 'Schillie', after she laid a nest on Klein Bonaire's No Name beach this Monday night. This nest was was at least her fifth for the season, and with that she should be done laying. Her locations for yesterday indicate she has started to move north, along the west coast of Bonaire, with her latest position near Playa Frans. But two weeks ago 'Schillie' made the same movement and then turned back to Klein Bonaire, so it is anyone's guess what she will be doing next.

'Nautila' remains at her foraging habitat on the "Banco de Navidad", about 100 km north of the Dominican Republic.

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

P.O. Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

"Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, local affiliate of the Wider Caribbean Sea
Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), has been protecting sea turtles
through research, conservation and education since 1991."

Andy, thanks for the update. Do you know how deep the water is where Nautila is hanging out?

Bye Schillie best of luck to you.

Andrew - when will the eggs start to hatch -from all five nests?

Regards

Brian

Cynde
I just looked at a National Geographic map and was amazed to see the depth shown as 5 and 9 meters! I was on a live aboard whale trip to the Silver Bank some years ago and remember the depth as about 100 feet (33meters) where we were anchored. That's about 60 miles west of Navidad Bank.
I hope the transmitter battery lasts a while. It should be very interesting. Mickey

Mickey, thanks. I had to go look on the other thread to see exactly where Andy said she was...this was his quote from Robert:

---

quote:

'Nautila' has remained in the same location for several days, which means she has most likely reached her destination. She at what is known as "Navidad Bank", a submerged reef bank to the east of "Banco de la Plata", about 100 km north of the Dominican Republic. The area is also known as the breeding ground for humpback whales at this time of year and should also be good foraging habitat for hawksbills. We expect 'Nautila' to stay on Navidad for the next 2-3 years before returning to lay more nests on Klein Bonaire. From now on we will provide further updates for 'Nautila' only if her location changes significantly or any further information becomes available.

---

Thanks again, Andrew, for keeping us posted on both of these young ladies! Carole

Update for Dec 18.
--------------------------------------
Dear Friends,

Our second transmittered hawksbill, 'Schillie', is now definitely on the move! Yesterday she was already well north of Bonaire and swimming about 80 km/day. Her track is very similar to the route that 'Nautila' took when leaving Bonaire, in the direction of the Dominican Republic.

We continue to receive signals from 'Nautila' indicating she is still on her foraging area at "Banco de Navidad", 100 km north of the Dominican Republic, where we expect her to remain for at least two years.

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

P.O. Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

"Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, local affiliate of the Wider Caribbean Sea
Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), has been protecting sea turtles
through research, conservation and education since 1991."

Andy, Wow! Thanks! Hopefully she will go straight to Navidad Bank, and skip the loop that Nautila made!

Bon Voyage, Schillie....Vaya con dios! Carole

Update for Dec 19.

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

'Schillie' continues on the move towards the north, now 150 km away and following a near identical track as 'Nautila' did several weeks ago. 'Schillie' is now in deep water and has picked up speed, swimming nearly 100 km yesterday. At her current pace, 'Schillie' could reach the Dominican Republic on Christmas day.

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

P.O. Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

"Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, local affiliate of the Wider Caribbean Sea
Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), has been protecting sea turtles
through research, conservation and education since 1991."

I just came across this and this is amazing! Thank-you!

Eileen....it has been one huge adventure for all of us, especially the turtles! Be sure to go back and track these beautiful creatures from the beginning of Andrew's posts...simpy amazing!!! We are just mesmerized by this whole natural phenomina. (?) Carole

It would be interesting to see Nautila's route, next to Schillie's route...wonder if they will overlap...

Maybe Andrew can overlay Schillie's track on Nautila's as Schillie goes on.

The turtles are amazing, I wonder what they do, feed and what the see along the way. I am definately keeping an eye on this topic!

Sorry but I don't have access to the raw data nor the necessary expertise to interpert it, to plot their paths together. I'm also reluctant to ask Robert Van Dam, the project director, to do so since entering all the data points for both turtles would be an arduous task.

Nautila's entire journey to the Navidad Bank is posted to Bonaire Talk -- see Update for Dec 8. I think comparing that ap to Schillie's maps will give you what you need.

Andy

Thanks, Andrew. Sometimes that sort of thing is built in to software but can hard to do 'by hand'.

Geez, if the scales are the same it ought to be a photoshop breeze, lemme look into it.

Thanks Andy, that's what I was thinking (overlap the 2 from what you've posted)...Seb, you da masta...I know you can do it Lotus Tree

If you overlay the island by scaling one image...

andy, thanks for the updates. we'll see you in a few months. let me know if you need me to bring anything down with me...we have a little room in our luggage....

Update for Dec 20. I failed to see the question above regarding the hatching dates earlier. Figure 8 weeks from the date the nest was laid until it hatches. Schillie laid one mid-November and her last one a week ago today, Dec 15.
----------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,

'Schillie' continues on her way towards the north. She is now nearly 200 km from Klein Bonaire, where she last nested on 15 December. Her route is nearly identical to that made earlier by 'Nautila', the first female hawksbill we tracked.

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

P.O. Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

"Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, local affiliate of the Wider Caribbean Sea
Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), has been protecting sea turtles
through research, conservation and education since 1991."

Thanks, again, Andrew. Carole Baker