Satellite tags donated by Dr Todd Rimkus, Marymount University & Hawksbill Hoped used to document sea turtle migration patterns in Belize!

Each summer Dr. Todd Rimkus leads a 4 credit  university course in Marine & Tropical Ecology which culminates in a two week trip to Belize where the class visits the coastal community of Gales Point and Cayo to learn about diverse culture and natural history. The groups are introduced to Belize's most important hawksbill sea turtle nesting beach at Gales Point by local turtle expert, Kevin Andrewin, from the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary Management Committee. 

Realizing a need to learn more about the migration paths of the turtles nesting at the Gales Point, Dr Rimkus secured funding for the purchase and deployment of satellite tags and shares this tremendous opportunity with other organizations that study sea turtles in Belize. The value of each tag is approximately US $5000 which includes equipment purchase and the subsequent data downloaded via satellite.   To date a total of ten satellite tags have been applied to nine hawksbill sea turtles and one olive ridley turtle.

The satellite tagging program championed by Dr Rimkus has made important discoveries on the migration paths of sea turtles in Belize.   Of the eight hawksbill turtles tagged at Gales Point one remained close to home and foraged between Gales Point and Turneffe, one migrated to the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, two forage in the waters around the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, and one migrated outside of Belize waters to the area south of the Bay Islands in Honduras. Two tags attached at Gales Point did not provide any migration data; one malfunctioned and the other either came off the turtle shortly after it was released or the turtle got trapped under a fallen tree on the beach.  The Belize Fisheries Department tagged a hawksbill turtle that nested on Hunting Caye in May 2014, but the tag has not transmitted any data at all.  The olive ridley migrated to the Gulf of Mexico in two weeks and then the tag stopped transmitting.  All sea turtles nesting at Gales Point forage in the Victoria Channel and at nearby Robinson Point during the inter-nesting period, or the time in between they are laying eggs.  Since this area is critical to the success of the endangered nesting hawksbill turtles, protecting this area should be a priority.

Three additional tags will be applied this year by the Ambergris Caye Turtle Program, TIDE and ECOMAR.  We'll keep you posted on the details of the turtles tagged so you can follow their migration paths!

The Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary Management Committee works with community members in their sea turtle monitoring program.

PACT Serenity sporting her bling as she returns to the sea.

All educators are encouraged to incorporate information on sea turtles in their classrooms or other education programs.  Following the daily movements of migrating sea turtles increases an appreciation for the great ocean migrators.  Please contact ECOMAR for more information and materials.

Summary or migration paths of turtles tracked by satellite tags in the program spearheaded by Dr. Rimkus, Marymount University & Hawksbill Hope.

Migration path of Moochula. This turtle nests at Gales Point and forages in Honduras.

Olive was a stranded olive ridley turtle, the first confirmed observation in Belize.

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