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Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: Satellite tracking of 'STINAPA'
Bonaire Talk: Bonaire Nature & Nature Organizations: STCB (Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire): Satellite tracking of 'STINAPA'
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #124) on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - 9:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

There is a minor correction to the press release -- 'STINAPA' was fitted with the transmitter on Sunday night rather than Monday.

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GREEN TURTLE ‘STINAPA’ IS THE THIRD TURTLE TRACKED FROM BONAIRE THIS NESTING SEASON





Kralendijk, Bonaire, 1 November 2004



A Green turtle (turtuga blanku) nesting on Playa Chikitu in Washington Slagbaai Park was fitted with a satellite transmitter Monday night by a team from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) and Stichting Nationale Parken – Bonaire (STINAPA). This is the third turtle to be tracked during the current nesting season and the first Green turtle ever fitted with a transmitter on Bonaire.



Based on the pattern of Green turtle nesting activity observed on Playa Chikitu during the last few weeks, STCB staff predicted the possible return of a Green turtle to the beach for Monday night. A field team consisting of Debby Wauben (STINAPA), Fernando Simal (Washington Park manager, STINAPA, Hanny Kalk (volunteer and STCB webmaster), Gielmon Egbreghts and Robert van Dam (STCB) set out at night to monitor Playa Chikitu for nesting activity. Around 8 p.m. a large Green turtle was found already up on a sand dune and busy digging a large hole for placing her nest. She soon began laying eggs and was then measured (95.5 cm straight carapace length) and tagged on her front flippers. An hour later, after she covered her nesting area extensively with sand, the approximately 140 kg animal was intercepted by the team on her way towards the sea and a transmitter applied to the top of her carapace. At 11:40 pm the green turtle was released and she quickly departed into the rough surf off Playa Chikitu.



Green turtle ‘STINAPA’ will be the third turtle to be tracked from Bonaire during the 2004 nesting season. Tracking of this Green turtle is made possible by a full sponsorship provided by STINAPA.



Earlier, the female Loggerhead ‘Extra’ was tracked from her nesting beach at Klein Bonaire to her feeding area off the coast of Honduras, over 1500 km away. Male Hawksbill ‘Tom’ is currently underway towards the northeastern Caribbean, over 600 km from Klein Bonaire where he was found in July and remained until mid-October.



The turtle tracking works through signals sent out by the transmitter, which is switched on whenever the turtle comes to the surface to breathe. These transmissions are then collected by Argos system receivers onboard weather satellites that circle the globe, yielding location data for each turtle that are e-mailed daily to Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire.



As this year’s turtle nesting season comes to an end, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire will try to find at least one more nesting turtle to track. Potential sponsors for next year’s turtle tracking effort are invited to contact Robert van Dam (599 717 2225, 790 0433, stcb@bonaireturtles.org) for details. Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire aims to protect sea turtles through education, research and taking conservation actions. Founded in 1992, the STCB is a Bonaire-based, non-governmental and non-profit organization, part of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network. Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire is also an active member of the 2004-2005 island-wide outreach and education campaign “Protehá nos Turtuganan”, that started officially today, November 1st, 2004.

image

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #125) on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - 9:12 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

Sunday night, a Green turtle (turtuga blanku) nesting on Playa Chikitu in Washington Slagbaai Park was fitted with a satellite transmitter by a team from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) and Stichting Nationale Parken – Bonaire (STINAPA). This female Green turtle has been named ''STINAPA' after the organization which is sponsoring her tracking. This is the third turtle to be tracked during the 2004 nesting season and the first Green turtle ever fitted with a transmitter on Bonaire.

Much to our delight after being released at Playa Chikitu, 'STINAPA' immediately started her journey back to her home feeding grounds moving away from Bonaire in a northwesterly direction. She is approximately 48 km off Bonaire.

We still are not receiving signals on the other two sea turtles we are tracking this year, 'Extra' and 'Tom'. We are attempting to contact the personnel who manage the Argos satellite system and see if there may be a technical problem. Hopefully the problem will not be with the turtles' transmitters.

We will keep you posted.


Best regards,
Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

map

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #126) on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - 9:13 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA", the female Green turtle continues in a northwesterly direction. Yesterday she covered approximately 80 km and is about 135 km from Bonaire.

If you will remember, we missed an opportunity to fit a transmitter on a female Hawksbill at No Name Beach last week when she came ashore to nest after the team had already left Klein Bonaire. We have received reports from divers that she is still in the area and efforts will begin again to find her.

Still no more signals from either 'Tom' or 'Extra'. We are waiting to hear from the Argos satellite system staff.

We will keep you posted.


Best regards,
Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Belinda Z (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #206) on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - 10:16 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andy,

As always, many many thanks for taking the time to post this information so that we may share in the turtles' journeys.

Belinda

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4276) on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - 8:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks, again, Andy and Robert...it's wonderful to watch this program in progress! Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Debbie Babcock (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #269) on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 3:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

This is a great program! Thanks for keeping us updated on progress. I hope that the transmitters start to give out some signals. Kinda have feelings for Tom and Extra. Let us know when you figure out what happened.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #128) on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 4:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

Our female Green turtle, 'STINAPA' is moving in a pretty straight line in the direction of Cuba and Haiti but we cannot be sure of her ultimate destination yet. Yesterday she covered almost 45 km and was swimming at a rate of almost 50 km a day. She is almost 175 km off Bonaire.

We received word from the Argos satellite system staff that they are no longer receiving signals from either 'Extra' or 'Tom'. There are several possible explanations for the lose of signals but we have no way of knowing what the real cause is. There is a chance, although small, that we may start picking up their signals once again.

We will keep you posted.

Best regards,
Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #130) on Friday, November 5, 2004 - 2:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', the female Green turtle, has turned in a more westerly direction after covering almost 70 km in the last 24 hours. She is about 240 km off Bonaire and now headed in the general direction of Jamaica and Cuba.. We are receiving a lot of very good signals from her which would indicate she is spending a considerable amount of time at the surface.

We'll keep you posted.

Best regards,
Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #131) on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 1:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', the female Green turtle, is now headed in a westerly direction toward Central America. Yesterday, she traveled over 60 km in a 24 hour period and is over 280 km off Bonaire.

More when available.


Best regards,

Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4287) on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 7:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for keeping us updated on everything, Andy. Ayo, Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #132) on Sunday, November 7, 2004 - 9:08 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', the female Green turtle, is still moving in a westerly direction. Yesterday she covered over 90 km and is approximately 365 km from Bonaire. One guess is that she is headed to the same area, a large shallow ledge that extends from Honduras down to Nicaragua, that 'Extra', our female Loggerhead, traveled to in July of this year. If that is the case, she still has about 1200 km more to go.

We will keep you posted.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #133) on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 8:18 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', the female Green turtle, is continuing on to the west toward Central America. She covered over 90 km yesterday and is now approximately 460 km from Bonaire

We will keep you posted.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #134) on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 8:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', the female Green turtle, made a slight turn to the northwest but is still moving in a westerly direction. Her speed slowed slightly as well; she covered only about 75 km yesterday. She is approximately 535 km from Bonaire.

We will keep you posted.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By J.J zambrano mazzei (BonaireTalker - Post #76) on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 10:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andrew. great job. congratulations. is amazing how far this sea turtle can swim 535 km from bonaire !!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #135) on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

Yesterday our Green turtle 'Stinapa' swam almost 100 km in 24 hours. She turned a little more to the south again, on a westerly course, and is now over 600 km from Bonaire. 'Stinapa' is in water about 4000 m deep.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

PO Box 492
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Netherlands Antilles

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

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #884) on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 1:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andrew, my son showed this to his Environmental Science course professor and she asked if this turtle is in any kind of 'stream' area - like the Gulf Stream, which would be helping the turtle to be able to travel so far each day. Would you know?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #136) on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 3:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The prevailing current runs from east to west, so the answer would be yes, she is in all likelihood being assisted. Having said that, Green turtles are extremely strong swimmers and we have seen Hawksbills traveling north, not going with the prevailing current, travel 90 km a day.

Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mare (Mary Wills) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #400) on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 5:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Andy for your frequent postings. I am enjoying tracking the turtle with you.



 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #137) on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 12:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', our Green turtle, swam almost 100 km yesterday and is approximately 780 km from Bonaire. Her current course is taking her directly toward Nicaragua.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
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 (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #138) on Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 9:57 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Friends,

'STINAPA', our Green turtle, again covered 100 km yesterday. She has turned to the southwest and is headed in the direction of Panama. Her position is approximately 850 km off Bonaire.

I forgot to mention earlier in the week that we missed a chance to fit another female Hawksbill with a transmitter. Typically, a female will nest every 14 to 16 days during the nesting season and the nesting pattern of this Hawksbill suggested that she was on a 15-day cycle. Plans were for STCB staff to go out last Tuesday evening to No Name Beach on Kleine Bonaire in anticipation of the female's return. To our surprise, a new nest was discovered Tuesday morning indicating that she had returned the night before, 13 days after her last nesting. We are holding hopes that she will try one more time.

Best regards,

Andy Uhr
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 J.J zambrano mazzei (BonaireTalker - Post #83) on Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 3:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

andy......the turtle is 850 km from Bonaire. question: Panama is too far from here "swimming" But are the turtles enough strong to go swimming to Panama and come back to Bonaire in one month ?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #140) on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 11:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

'Stinapa's current travels are taking her back to her home feeding grounds which are, in all likelihood, somewhere along the coast of Central America. (See the new thread for her current location.) She probably travels to Bonaire to nest once every 2 to 4 years. The exact interval of her travel to Bonaire is unknown to us but it is thought that the further they travel to nest, the less frequently they make the trip since it is so physically demanding on them.

I hope that answers your question.
Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By J.J zambrano mazzei (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 11:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andy.....thanks. jj

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1906) on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 11:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Andy,

How long do you expect the batteries on Stinapa's radio will last and how long is the radio likely to stay on her carapace? Are you likely to be able to id the returning turtles by their radios, or recover the radios for re-use??

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Uhr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #142) on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 8:19 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

There are a lot of variables concerning the life of the battery. They could last a year or longer. The transmitter should stay afixed no longer than 18 months. There is not much likelihood of recovering the transmitters from these turtles. But the turtles are tagged and when they return to Bonaire to nest again, if we are fortunate enought to recapture them, we will know exactly who they are.

Andy

 


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