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Sea Turtle Conservation & Research

Previously Tracked Sea Turtles

Today's Research for Tomorrow's Oceans

Sea Turtles Previously Tracked by Mote (Now Inactive)

Here, you can check out the archived tracking results from many sea turtles tagged with satellite transmitters by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists over the years.

Each satellite tag we deploy will stop sending information to us eventually—for example, when the tag battery dies, the tag falls off, the turtle breaks it by rubbing against hard surfaces, the tag is compromised by biofouling life forms such as barnacles and algae, or in some cases, when the turtle passes away. While each turtle is tracked for a limited time, the collected data from multiple turtles have enduring value for understanding, managing and protecting populations of these endangered and threatened reptiles.

Previously tracked by Mote (Now Inactive)

Adult Female Green Sea Turtles

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Amelia

Release date: 6/8/2022
Release location: Casey Key, FL

Amelia is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting and received a satellite tag on Casey Key in the early morning hours of June 21, 2019. This was the first time Amelia has been observed nesting, and she received flipper tags and a microchip so that scientists can identify her after her satellite tag come off. Amelia was tracked to her foraging grounds in the Marquesas Keys, Florida, where she likely rubbed off her tag. We spotted Amelia nesting again on Casey Key on June 8, 2022 and attached another satellite tag to her. She is being tracked again thanks to divers that recovered one of our satellite tags and returned it to us (it is being reused) and thanks to a generous donation from Cathy Paris. Amelia was named after pilot Amelia Earhart, in honor of Mote Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer Will Collins, a former pilot. Will and his wife, Sally, were longtime friends, volunteers (1985-2006), and supporters of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program. Their kindness and generosity will be forever remembered and appreciated, whether they were waving as Sea Turtle Patrol passed by their home or providing a nighttime shelter to Mote’s tagging team in stormy weather.

Brenda


Release date: June 11, 2021
Release location: Casey Key, Florida

Brenda the green sea turtle was tagged with a satellite transmitter on June 11, 2021, on Casey Key. This is the first year that Mote scientists have observed Brenda, and we’re excited to learn more about her! After Brenda was tagged, she was observed nesting again on June 21 on Manasota Key with her satellite tag intact. She is being tracked thanks to a donation from Ocean & Company.

Freda2

Release date: June 5, 2021
Release location: Casey Key, Florida

Freda is an adult, female, green sea turtle who was observed nesting and received a satellite tag on Casey Key in the early morning hours of June 5, 2021.  Freda was first observed nesting in 2015 on Manasota Key, where she was encountered twice that season. In 2019, Freda returned to nest on Casey Key and received a satellite tag. The satellite tag let us watch her movements as Freda continued to lay nests near Casey Key and when she was finished nesting, began traveling south. Her tag stopped transmitting off the Florida Everglades on Aug. 8, 2019, before she had reached her foraging grounds, so her whereabouts the past few years are a mystery. We are tracking Freda again thanks to a donation from the Longboat Key Turtle Watch, and we hope to learn more about how many nests she lays in a season as well as where she goes (where her foraging grounds are located) when she has completed her nesting season.

Freda was named in honor of Freda Perotta. For 25 years, Freda Perrotta has been the backbone of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch (LBKTW), and over the years, this energetic, classy lady never tired of her turtle duties. She patrolled on the beach, transported walkers, organized LBKTW T-shirt sales and evening nest excavations, ran their Name The Stake program, educated hundreds of children and adults, and recruited many of them as volunteers, all with her enthusiasm for sea turtles. One of her last active roles was that of running LBKTW’s Turtle Motel (permitted program volunteers could take baby turtles to her motel outside her condo on the beach and she would babysit them during the day until they could be released). She is now 94 and living in Skilled Nursing at Freedom Village in West Bradenton; her new title is LBKTW’s Turtle Consultant. This “Energizer Bunny” turtle volunteer was named a Lifetime Member of LBKTW, and though she now must sit in a wheelchair, she always has a turtle shirt on. Mote thanks LBKTW for their donations to the Mote Sea Turtle Tracking project.

Gigi

Release Date: 07/19/2018
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Gigi is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting on Casey Key and was satellite tagged in the early hours of the morning of July 19, 2018. Prior to her satellite tag she was also seen nesting on Casey Key in 2010 and 2016. Gigi was one of the few green sea turtles to nest on Casey Key in 2018. Gigi’s track combined with Mote’s Turtle Patrol data indicated that she has nested six times in 2018. Afterwards, she traveled to the western coast of Cuba and on to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico 70 miles north of Campeche, which appears to be her foraging ground. She is likely to remain in her foraging ground for a year and return to nest on Casey Key every other year. Gigi’s tag stopped transmitting on Jan. 17, 2019. Gigi is a great example of how turtles see no boundaries—she’s a tri-national turtle.

Grasshopper

Release date: July 15, 2021
Release location: Casey Key, Florida

Grasshopper is a green turtle that was first seen nesting on Casey Key in 2017, nested again in 2019, and also this year (2021)! Mote scientists applied a satellite tag to her after she nested on July 15, 2021.  A little girl who just happened to see us tagging a green turtle suggested the name to us in 2019 and when we found this very boisterous sea turtle, we thought it was a perfect fit! Grasshopper is being tracked thanks to a donation from Ocean & Company.

Mildred

Release date: July 14, 2021
Release location: Casey Key, Florida

Mildred the green sea turtle was first seen on July 2, 2021, but she did not lay a nest that time so we could not apply a satellite tag.  She most likely laid a nest over the next few days but our tagging team did not see her.  When we saw Mildred again on July 14, 2021, she was nesting so we applied a satellite tag.  Since this is the first year that Mote scientists have observed Mildred and we’re excited to learn more about her! Mildred is name for Christine Mildred, the mother of one of our Mote scientists,  and as a mother with initials CM, we just had to give her name to a green sea turtle which share the initials CM because their scientific name is Chelonia mydas, but we are calling her Mildred for short.  We are able to track Mildred thanks to a donation from Ocean & Company.

Sweet Pea

Release date: 6/9/2022
Release location: Casey Key, FL

Sweet Pea was the first green turtle satellite tagged by Mote back in 2007 when she was first observed nesting on Casey Key. She was tracked to her foraging grounds in the Marquesas Keys after which her tag stopped transmitting. She has been observed nesting on Casey Key and Manasota Key for the past 15 years (identified by her flipper tags and a microchip). On June 9, 2022 we spotted Sweet Pea starting her sixth nesting season and placed another satellite tag on her to track her movements during and after the nesting season. We are curious whether Sweet Pea will return to forage in the Marquesas Keys and looking forward to finding out what she can tell us about nesting green turtles in the Gulf of Mexico.

Thalia

Release Date: 05/29/2018
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Thalia is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting on Casey Key in the early morning hours on May 29, 2019. She was first observed nesting on Manasota Key in 2015 when she received her flipper tags and a microchip for identification. Thalia is one of many turtles observed nesting on Casey Key in 2019, Thalia was named for a Greek muse who is described as joyous and flourishing. Her name also evokes Thalassia, the scientific name for the turtle grass, a seagrass eaten by green turtles. She was tracked for 63 days, during which time she traveled to foraging grounds in Florida Bay. Thaila’s tag stopped transmitting on July 31, 2019.

June

Release Date: 06/16/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

June is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting and received a satellite tag on Casey Key in the early morning hours of June 16, 2019. This was the first time June has been observed nesting, and she received flipper tags and a microchip so that scientists can identify her after her satellite tag comes off. June continued to lay nests in the vicinity of Casey Key and eventually traveled south to her foraging grounds in Florida Bay, where she will likely remain for one to two years. Her tag stopped transmitting on Oct. 14, 2019, after 120 days.

June is named for Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer June McIntosh, who volunteered on Casey Key from 2012-2018. McIntosh passed away last fall and had requested that donations be sent to Mote’s tagging program in lieu of gifts. We are honored to name a turtle after June, as a tribute to her bright, happy spirit. It was easy to see how much Turtle Patrol meant to June; her dedication and enthusiasm brought joy to other volunteers and the public.

Freda

Release Date: 06/17/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Freda is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting and received a satellite tag on Casey Key in the early morning hours of June 17, 2019.  Freda was first observed nesting in 2015 on Manasota Key, where she was encountered twice that season. Freda continued to lay nests near Casey Key and began traveling south, however, her tag stopped transmitting off the Florida Everglades on Aug. 8, 2019, before she had reached her foraging grounds.

Freda was named in honor of Freda Perotta. For 25 years, Freda Perrotta has been the backbone of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch (LBKTW), and over the years, this energetic, classy lady never tired of her turtle duties. She patrolled on the beach, transported walkers, organized LBKTW t-shirt sales and evening nest excavations, ran their Name The Stake program, educated hundreds of children and adults, and recruited many of them as volunteers, all with her enthusiasm for sea turtles. One of her last active roles was that of running LBKTW’s Turtle Motel (permitted program volunteers could take baby turtles to her motel outside her condo on the beach and she would babysit them during the day until they could be released). Although she is now 93 and living in Skilled Nursing at Freedom Village in West Bradenton, her new title is LBKTW’s Turtle Consultant. This “Energizer Bunny” turtle volunteer was named a Lifetime Member of LBKTW, and though she now must sit in a wheelchair, she always has a turtle shirt on. Mote thanks LBKTW for their donation to the Mote Sea Turtle Tracking project.

Amelia

Release Date: 06/21/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Amelia is an adult female green sea turtle who was observed nesting and received a satellite tag on Casey Key in the early morning hours of June 21, 2019. This was the first time Amelia has been observed nesting, and she received flipper tags and a microchip so that scientists can identify her after her satellite tag come off. Amelia nested on Casey Key but also made a foray many miles north before traveling south to her foraging grounds in the Marquesas Keys, Florida. She was tracked 42 days until Aug. 2, 2019, when her tag stopped transmitting.

Amelia was named after pilot Amelia Earhart, in honor of Mote Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer Will Collins, a former pilot. Will and his wife Sally were longtime friends, volunteers (1985-2006), and supporters of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program. Their kindness and generosity will be forever remembered and appreciated, whether they were waving as Sea Turtle Patrollers passed by or providing a nighttime shelter to Mote’s tagging team in stormy weather.

Cecil

Release Date: 07/06/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Cecil is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on June 26, 2019 on Casey Key, where she received two new flipper tags and a microchip for identification. By reading her tags, we were able to identify her when she returned to Casey Key to lay another nest on July 6, 2019, after which she received a satellite tag. We were surprised to see that she almost immediately traveled south and around to the Atlantic Ocean and is currently traveling north along the east coast of Florida. We believe Cecil laid several nests near the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge before traveling south to her foraging grounds in the Marquesas Keys, Florida, where she has remained until her tag stopped transmitting on June 18, 2020, nearly one year after she was tagged.

Cecil got her name thanks to Carol Bishop, who won Mote’s sea turtle naming contest in summer 2019. Cecil is named in honor of Carol’s mom.

Irene

Release Date: 06/27/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Irene is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on Casey Key on June 17, 2019, where she received two new flipper tags and a microchip for identification. By reading her tags, we were able to identify her when she returned to Casey Key to lay another nest on June 27, 2019, after which she received a satellite tag. Irene spent the nesting season around Casey Key and also traveled north near Siesta and Lido Keys. After nesting ended, she traveled south to foraging grounds. It appears she prefers both Florida Bay and the Marquesas Keys. Irene’s tag stopped transmitting after 126 days, on Oct. 31, 2019.

Mote thanks Charles and Melissa Swanson for their support of this tag in memory of Tom and Irene Coulter.

Cheeseball

Release Date: 07/01/2019
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Cheeseball is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on Casey Key in the early morning hours on July 1, 2019, and she received a satellite tag. She also received two flipper tags and a microchip so that scientists can identify her when her satellite tag comes off. Cheeseball didn’t stick around Casey Key long and might have nested on Anna Maria Island before traveling to Tampa Bay in July and making a loop in the Gulf to head south where she may have made a stop for one last nest on Marco Island. Cheeseball continued south but surprised us as she didn’t stop in Florida Bay but continued on into the Atlantic where she was last tracked off Biscayne National Park. Her tag stopped transmitting after 34 days, on Aug. 4, 2019.

Cheeseball is named in memory of Karen Carlquist, a strong woman who was always smiling even through her battle with breast cancer. Her motto was, “It’s a beautiful day to be alive.” She lived every day to its fullest and was a self-proclaimed “Cheeseball,” savoring every moment with a silly photo, especially with her husband and four children.

Ronnie

Satellite Tag Date: 06/15/2020
Location: Casey Key, Florida

Ronnie is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on Casey Key on June 15, 2020, when she received two new flipper tags and a microchip for identification and a satellite tag for tracking her movements. We observed her nesting several times in 2020 before she traveled to her foraging grounds in Florida Bay. Her tag stopped transmitting 58 days later on Aug. 20, 2020.

Ronnie is named in honor of the residents of the beach house in front of which she laid her first nest. Ronnie and John Enander started volunteering in 1974 to help with what is now the Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program (STCRP). They patrolled with Mo Wolverton to find nesting turtles at night and released hatchlings from nest inventories during the following morning. Their favorite part of patrol was seeing a nest full of empty shells from newly hatched turtles and knowing that they had made their way into the Gulf to start new lives! The Enanders are friends of STCRP and continue to help us by providing parking and shelter (for inclimate weather) to our nighttime tagging team.

Connie

Satellite Tag Date: 06/20/2020
Location: Casey Key, Florida

Connie is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on June 28, 2019 on Casey Key, where she received two new flipper tags and a microchip for identification. She was unable to receive a satellite tag in 2019 due to a skin condition on her shell called bacterial dermatitis. By reading her tags, we were able to identify her when she returned to Casey Key to nest on June 20, 2020. This time, her shell had healed and she was able to receive a satellite tag. Connie’s tag allowed us to identify two nests prior to losing her satellite tag on Aug. 17, 2020, only 27 days later. The Sarasota County Tagging Team observed Connie nesting on Manasota Key, Florida, where she was identified by her PIT (microchip, or passive integrated transponder) and flipper tags and confirmed that the satellite tag had been lost. Connie had not yet left for her foraging grounds, so their location will remain a mystery.

Goldie

Release Date: 07/04/2020
Release Location: Casey Key, Florida

Goldie is an adult female green sea turtle who was first observed nesting on Casey Key in the early morning hours on July 4, 2020, when she received a satellite tag for tracking her movements. She also received two flipper tags and a microchip so that scientists can identify her when her satellite tag comes off. Goldie was tracked to two additional nests on Manasota Key, Florida, and then traveled to her foraging grounds in Florida Bay and the Marquesas Keys.

 


Previously tracked by Mote (Now Inactive)

Adult Male Loggerhead Sea Turtles

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Bobby

Release date: 09/15/2021
Release location: Bonita Beach, FL

Bobby is an adult male loggerhead who was found struggling in the surf in Manatee Public Beach in Manatee County, Florida on July 31, 2021 with suspected brevetoxicosis and rescued by Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program. Bobby’s name was inspired by the bobbing movement he was making at the surface. After 45 days of rehabilitation at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital, he was released with a satellite tag on September 15, 2021 from Ft Myers, Florida. Bobby is being tracked thanks to a donation from Ocean & Company.

Connor

Release date: 01/13/2021
Release location: Longboat Key, Florida

Connor is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was rescued by Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program in a residential canal off Longboat Key, Florida, on Sept. 6, 2020. He presented with lethargy and multiple areas of skin erosion, the worst on his right front flipper where monofilament line might have caused the injury (but line was not found on the turtle). He was named after Officer Joshua Connors of the Longboat Key Police Department, who assisted in his rescue. He was treated and rehabilitated at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for 130 days before being released on Longboat Key, Florida, on Jan. 13, 2021. Connor immediately traveled south toward Fort Myers, Florida.

JT

Release date: 07/13/2020
Release location: Naples, Florida

JT is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was rescued by the Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program on April 2, 2020. JT was found floating offshore of Longboat Key entangled badly in a crab trap. The rope on the crab trap had embedded into both front flippers and around his neck, which had left him unable to dive for a long time; he was very skinny. He was named after Officer Justin Franks of Sarasota Police Department. Officer Franks and Officer Skinner assisted in JT’s rescue. JT was rehabilitated at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for 102 days. He was satellite tagged and released on July 13, 2020, from Caspersen Beach in Venice, Florida. JT traveled north to waters off Longboat Key for the summer and in the winter traveled into the Atlantic off the northern Florida Keys.

LEO

PHOTO CREDIT: ANGELA BARROS, GULF WORLD MARINE INSTITUTE

Release date: 01/18/2022
Release location: Panama City, Florida

LEO was rescued by the combined efforts of Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI), Panama City Beach Turtle Watch and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 23, 2021, near the shore of Beach Access 24 in Panama City Beach, Florida, where he was found floating and lethargic. The more than 200-pound male loggerhead sea turtle was brought to GWMI for rehabilitation. After 87 days of treatment, he was medically cleared by GWMI veterinary staff and cleared for release by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. LEO was satellite tagged by a Mote Marine Laboratory Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program biologist before being released into the Gulf of Mexico from Panama City Beach on Jan. 18, 2022. LEO is the first rehabilitated adult male loggerhead being tracked from the Florida Panhandle, a distinct loggerhead subpopulation. He traveled to Cedar Key after his release where he has remained in residence.

Mr. T

Release date: 05/07/2019
Release location: Marathon, Florida

Mr. T is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was found floating near Tavernier Key in the Florida Keys on Feb. 9, 2019. Mr. T was rescued with help from the USGC and rehabilitated at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, which included surgeries to remove a fish hook and line that was lodged in his mouth and to repair a tear in his lung. Mr. T was released with a satellite tag at Sombrero Beach in Marathon on May 7, 2019. The tagging was a collaborative effort between Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program, the Sea Turtle Conservancy and The Turtle Hospital. Mr. T appears to winter in the Atlantic off the coast of Key Largo and summer off Fort Myers.

Murph

Release Date: 10/07/2013
Release Location: Lido Key, Sarasota, Florida

Murph was rescued on May 27, 2013, through cooperation of Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement Marine Patrol and helicopter, and the Sarasota County and Longboat Key marine patrols. He was severely entangled and stuck in one place offshore of Turtle Beach, Siesta Key, for nearly a week. He had fishing and crab trap line wrapped around his neck and flippers and had two large shark hooks caught in his shell. Murph also had an old carapace fracture of unknown cause that is located near his right rear flipper. Murph was rescued on Memorial Day and was nicknamed “Murph” in honor of Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. Murph remained in nearshore vicinity of Siesta Key and then headed south. He transmitted 60 days before his tag stopped transmitting off the Florida Everglades on Dec. 4, 2013. The lack of transmission since then might be due to tag loss or damage.

Sea Salt

Release Date: 06/28/2018
Release Location: Sanibel Island, Florida

Sea Salt was rescued by Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters (http://annamariaisland.fishing/).Captain David found Sea Salt floating off Anna Maria Island on Oct. 30, 2016, listless at the surface. Captain David reported him to Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program and assisted Mote in transporting Sea Salt to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.Sea Salt was very lethargic and he was treated for brevetoxicosis. Sea Salt was released on Feb. 3, 2017, from Lido Beach. He traveled quite a bit, both nearshore between Lido Key and the mouth of Tampa Bay and offshore of Longboat Key, Florida. He was tracked for 170 days until his tag stopped transmitting on July 23, 2017. The lack of transmission since then might be due to tag loss or damage.

Sheldon

Release date: 02/18/2022
Release location: Pigeon Key, Florida

Sheldon, an adult male loggerhead sea turtle, was found and named by his U.S. Coast Guard rescuers near the Old Seven Mile Bridge on Feb. 7, 2022. The 230-pound turtle was entangled in crab trap line and taken to the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital, where his wounds were treated. Sheldon was tagged with a satellite transmitter and released off Pigeon Key on Feb. 18, 2022. Sheldon has since traveled from the Atlantic coast of the Keys, around Key West and into Florida Bay. Sheldon is the second adult male loggerhead tracked from the Keys by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists. His satellite transmitter is being reused thanks to divers who retrieved it after it was rubbed off by another tracked turtle.

Walter

Release Date: 06/28/2018
Release Location: Sanibel Island, Florida

Walter is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who stranded on June 4, 2018. He was rescued and taken to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Sanibel, Florida, where he was treated for brevetoxicosis. His tag was donated by an anonymous donor and he was named in honor of CROW’s 50th Anniversary and their Founder, Shirley J. Walter. Walter was released with a satellite tag from Sanibel Island on June 28, 2018. The tagging was a collaborative effort between Mote STCRP and the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Walter remained in the vicinity of Sanibel and Captiva Island for 72 days until his tags last transmission on Sept. 8, 2018. The lack of transmission since then might be due to tag loss or damage.

Intrepid

Species: Loggerhead
Life Stage: Adult
Gender: Male
Release Date: 07/27/2018
Release Location: Lido Key, Florida

Intrepid is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was found floating west of Longboat Pass in the Gulf of Mexico on June 7, 2018, and rescued by Mote Stranding Investigations Program and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office with suspected brevetoxicosis. He was rehabilitated at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and released with a satellite tag from Lido Key, Florida, on July 27, 2018. Intrepid spent time nearshore of Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island, Florida, for 48 days before his tag’s last transmission on Sept. 13, 2018. The lack of transmissions since then may be due to tag loss or damage.

Erick

Release Date: 08/22/2018
Release Location: Fort DeSoto, St. Petersburg, Florida

Erick is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle that was found and rescued by Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) from Captiva, Florida, on July 26, 2018 with suspected brevetoxicosis. He was rehabilitated at Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) until Aug. 3, 2018, when he was transferred to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for continued care. He was released with a satellite tag on Aug. 22, 2018, from Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg, Florida. Erick immediately headed south back to Charlotte County, where he was originally found. He resided off Fort Myers Beach, Florida, for most of his time with travel north to Boca Grande and Manasota Key, Florida, in the summer of 2019. Erick’s tag stopped transmitting on Jan. 4, 2021, after 28 months (865 days!).

Erick was named in honor of Erick Lindblad, the former Chief Executive Officer at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) who had been a part of SCCF from 1986 through 2018.

Independence

Release date: 08/02/2018
Release Location: Anna Maria Island, Florida

Independence is an adult male loggerhead who was found in the surf off Longboat Key, Florida, on July 1, 2018 with suspected brevetoxicosis. He was rehabilitated at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and released with a satellite tag on Aug. 2, 2018 from Anna Maria Island, Florida. Mote would like to thank the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation for their quick assistance in providing a satellite tag for Independence. Independence made a few forays between the mouth of Tampa Bay and Naples and spent the majority of winter 2018 and spring 2019 in a foraging ground 45 miles northeast of the Dry Tortugas, Florida. In May 2019, he began a journey northeast towards Sanibel Island, Florida, which coincides with loggerhead mating and nesting season. Unfortunately, his tag sent its last transmission on May 21, 2019, 291 days after his release.

Banner

Release Date: 09/26/2018
Release Location: Naples, Florida

Banner is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was rescued by Collier County Parks and Recreation in Naples, Florida, on Aug. 13, 2018. He was admitted to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Sanibel, Florida, and treated for brevetoxicosis. He was transferred to Mote on Aug. 24, 2018, for continued care and was released with a satellite tag on Sept. 26, 2018, from Naples, Florida. Banner spent most of his time year-round in the waters south of Marco Island, Florida, and at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. His tag’s last transmission was November 28, 2019, 428 days after his release. The lack of transmissions may be due to tag loss or damage.

Barron

Release Date: 09/26/2018
Release Location: Naples, Florida

Barron is an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who was rescued by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Sanibel, Florida, on July 27, 2018 and treated for brevetoxicosis. He was named after Heather Barron, DVM, the Medical and Research Director of CROW. He was transferred to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for continued care on Aug. 3, 2018. Barron was satellite tagged and released on Sept. 26, 2018, from Naples, Florida. Barron spends most of his time year-round in the waters near Naples and Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Barron’s tag stopped transmitting on January 25, 2021, after 28 months (853 days!).


Special Thanks

Mote thanks the following for tagging and satellite support:

  • The Sara Roberts Foundation
  • Stephen and Tabitha King
  • The Wooster School
  • In honor of Ruthie Cohen
  • Ann Anderson
  • West Coast Inland Navigation District

Mote thanks the following for support:

  • Sarasota Paint Company
  • Marsden Simmons at Boatwright Marine

ALL MARINE TURTLE IMAGES TAKEN IN FLORIDA WERE OBTAINED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) AND THE FLORIDA FISH & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION (FWC) UNDER CONDITIONS NOT HARMFUL TO THIS OR OTHER TURTLES. IMAGES WERE ACQUIRED WHILE CONDUCTING AUTHORIZED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO FWC MTP-155.