GALES POINT - Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary

Dr Todd Rimkus from Marymount University brings student groups to Gales Point each summer and works with Kevin Andrewin from the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary Management Committee to apply satellite tags on nesting sea turtles at Belize most important hawksbill nesting beach.

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.  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! 

The turtles below are tagged with satellite transmitters donated by​ HAWKSBILL HOPE/ MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY in collaboration with the Belize Fisheries Department and the ​GALES POINT WILDLIFE SANCTUARY.

When Time was Time
 
JUN 9 - JULY 27, 2019

When Time Was Time, is the first nesting green turtle ever tagged in Belize!  She was found nesting near Mullins River just south of Gales Point, Belize. She was tagged in 2019 in Marymount University's & Hawksbill Hope's satellite tagging program.​

Even though her tag last less that two months, this is an important addition to our database as it show green turtles use the area near Mullins River to nest. 

Interestingly, two nesting green turtles tagged in Costa Rica forage off Colson Point and nearby Mullins River.  

Sea Grape Hope for GPWS    JUL 13, 2017 - JUL 27, 2019

​Sea Grape 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.

Sea Grape is the first turtle tagged from Gales Point that briefly foraged around the Colson Point area before migrating to the shallow coastal water off Honduras, where she has been foraging for more than a year.

She is in a dangerous zone and very close to Nicaragua, where fishermen are still permitted to harvest sea turtles.

Safe travels Sea Grape, be well!

Li'l Wally's Hope for GPWS  JUL 4, 2018 - MAR 9, 2019

Li'l Wally's Hope for GPWS, a nesting hawksbill found at Gales Point, Belize was tagged on July 3, 2018 in collaboration with the Belize Fisheries Department and Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary.  This makes the 11th hawksbill sea turtle tagged by Marymount University's & Hawksbill Hope's satellite tagging program.

The migration path of Li'l Wally's is unique for tagged turtles in Belize as she is shown moving towards the southernmost part of Belize near Barranco.  Let's see where her travel take her!

Milky Way Hope for GPWS   JUN 22, 2017 - NOV 4, 2018

Milky 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.

Andrewin Skies Hope for GPWS  JUL 13-30, 2018

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!

Yertle the Turtle Hope for GPWS  JUL 3, 2017 - APR 21, 2018

Yertle 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.​

Callamars Hope for GPWS  JUL 9 - OCT 22, 2017

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!!

2016 - Hawkeye Hope Meeko

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!

2014 - Shiloh 4 Hope

2013 - Moochula

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.

Marymount University students assist Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary in locating and tagging sea turtles on the turtle nesting beach at Gales Point.

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.