2007 Turtle Update
March
We returned to Roatan during March and launched a pilot study to attach radio transmitters to two juvenile turtles and begin tracking them in the south coast area of the island. Our permit finally came through and we were able to flipper tag and release all the turtles that were being held in the protective pool at our Conservation Partner, the Reef House Resort.
On release, each turtle was followed and observed for as long as possible. While some remained in the immediate area for up to 45 minutes, others swam beyond our view within 5-10 minutes. We collected data on their movements, inter-surface and surface times and what they sampled for food.
Our newest team member, Dr. Doug Stilson, joined the expedition to film the research and turtles, both above and below the water. We returned from this expedition with hours of excellent, HD video and many photos. We are already planning for the return to Roatan in June, when we will launch the full radio tracking project.