GLOVER'S REEF ATOLL - ECOMAR

 Isla Esperanza Nov 5, 2015 - Feb 11, 2016 - 98 Days!

Off the Wall applying the satellite tag to Isla Esperanza. Photo Kendra Schofield, Off the Wall Resort

Marymount University and Hawksbill Hope collaborate with ECOMAR and the Belize Fisheries Department to get tags on turtles!

Off the Wall Dive Center at Glover's Atoll has reported all three common species in Belize nest on Long Caye, Glover's Atoll, which include hawksbills, greens and loggerheads.  In an attempt to get each species tagged from one nesting beach,  the Schofields took on the challenge to tag one of their nesting turtles.  Lucky for us the first one was a hawksbill sea turtle, one of the most endangered species, which nest on many of the offshore islands in Belize.

Kendra Schofield reports "A turtle secretly crawled up the beach but did not nest on Sunday, and everyone fell asleep, but each night teams waited for her return, and on Thursday before dawn, she arrived."  Off the Wall crew were prepared to apply the satellite tag and followed the carefully laid out instructions prepare by ECOMAR.  Team members included Jim & Kendra Schofield, Zoe O'Toole, Apolitico Salam, Magdelano Yacab and Mario Orellana. 

On Dec 1st, less than a amonth after she was tagged, a guest observed Isla Esperanza nesting around 8pm.  About 45 days after she nested she migrated to her foraging ground in Mexico south of Tulum.

Isla Ezperanza is the first nesting hawksbill tagged with a satellite transmitter at Glover's Atoll.  The migration path of Isla Esperanza will provide extremely valuable data to researchers in Belize and the Wider Caribbean.  Great job Off the Wall!!!