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The sandy shores along mainland Belize at Gales Point has been identified as Belize's most important hawksbill nesting beach. In one year there can be more than 100 nests. Here are migration paths that can be monitored so we can learn more about how endangered sea turtles use our seas.
In 2018 Dr Todd Rimkus and Kevin Andrewin have tagged 3 turtles: Lil Wally's, Maje and Andrewin Skies. Channel 5 Belize visited Gales Point and documented the tagging of one of these turtles! |
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2017 - Milky Way Hope for GPWSMilky Way Hope for GPWS, a nesting hawksbill found at Gales Point, Belize was tagged on June 22, 2017 in Marymount University's & Hawksbill Hope's satellite tagging program. Milky Way was located by Mark Rimkus, Lauren Andryshak, and Philip Bui on a nightly turtle walk. She was found nesting, and after completion of nesting, she was fitted with a SPOT 6 satellite tag and released.
The tag on Milky Way is the second longest lasting tag used by MU/HH. The tag transmitted for 413 days! The foraging ground for Milky Way is just on the other side of the Victoria Channel, basically in front yard. The Robinson Point foraging area is an important site for migrating green sea turtles, and resident and migrating hawksbill sea turtles that nest in Belize in Mexico. Jun 22, 2017 - Nov 4, 2018
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2018 - Andrewin Skies Hope for GPWS
Andrewin Skies was found by a local villager from Gales Point Manatee on July 13, 2018, and is the 13th turtle tagged by the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary in collaboration with the Belize Fisheries Department and Marymount University and Hawksbill Hope.
After being tagged she migrated to her foraging ground which is located south of the Placencia Peninsula near Monkey River Town. Why did her tag only last 17 days? It's possible her tag fell off, stopped working, or she was captured. Hopefully the team at Gales Point will encounter her again on a future nesting beach survey! Jul 13-30, 2018
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2017 - Yertle the Turtle Hope for GPWSYertle the Turtle of Hope for GPWS, a nesting hawksbill found at Gales Point, Belize was tagged on July 13, 2017 in Marymount University's & Hawksbill Hope's satellite tagging program. Yertle the Turtle wanted to see all she could see so she stacked up on us while we were tagging another turtle.
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CALLAMARS Hope for GPWS, a nesting hawksbill found at Gales Point, Belize was tagged on July 09, 2017 in Marymount University's & Hawksbill Hope's satellite tagging program. CALLAMARS represents an anagram of the first initials of the very generous robotics team from EXPO in St Paul, MN. Thanks to them for supporting sea turtle research in the most organic way!!
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2016 - Hawkeye Hope Meeko
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2015 - Hawkeye Hope
Dr Todd Rimkus and his son after an all nighter tagging Hawkeye Hope. Hawkeye Hope had been flipper tagged on the same beach!
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2014 - Shiloh 4 Hope
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Moochula, local name meaning "nice, fine, so good" was tagged by Dr Rimkus class in 2013. Marymount University Professor Barry Erdeljon & student Sarah Gulick produced a mini-documentary on the Gales Point community and the important sea turtle nesting beach featuring Hawksbill Hope & the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary Management Committee team. In 2015 it premiered at the Belize Film Festival. The 8 minute piece showcases Belize's most important nesting beach for the endangered hawksbill sea turtle.
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Marymount University students assist Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary in locating and tagging sea turtles on the turtle nesting beach at Gales Point.
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Migration path of Moochula, a hawskbill sea turtle tagged at Gales Point, is the first turtle tagged at Gales Point to migrate into another country.
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ST GEORGE'S CAYE
Mailing Address: PO Box 1234, Belize City, Belize TEL: + (501) 223-3022 Cel: + (501) 673-3022 Caye: + (501) 671-3483 Email: info@ecomarbelize.org |
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