In 2003 the Sea Turtle Conservancy began to study the migration patterns of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting along the Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica and Panama. The study will reveal important information about the turtle’s migratory behavior, which will help both conservationists and natural resource managers to improve protection efforts for this endangered species.
The satellite transmitter attached to each leatherback sends signals to orbiting satellites each time the turtles surface to breath. The data will be collected and downloaded to STC researchers. Educational migration maps will show the best location points of the turtle’s movements and locations. This will allow interested persons all over the world to watch along as researchers discover where the giant leatherback turtles travel after nesting. Through STC’s Sea Turtle Migration-Tracking Education Program, the public is invited to watch along on the Internet as we learn more about these amazing animals.
For more information on sea turtles, check out the Sea Turtles Information section of our website.
Click on the turtle’s name to see a map of its movements.
DR. TURTLE – Dr. Turtle (previously known as Boom Beach) is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 20, 2023, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 153.6 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 109.3 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 45 fertile eggs and 13 infertile eggs. Dr. Turtle is taking part in the 2023 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, SuperCell.
MIKEY – Mikey is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 21, 2023, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 140.2 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 95.7 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 54 fertile eggs and 32 infertile eggs. She was originally flipper tagged nesting on Chriqui Beach, Panama. She is taking part in the 2023 Tour de Turtles and will named by her Sponsor, GSX Bank.
PEDRO PaSCALE – Pedro PaSCALE is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 20, 2023, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 149.7 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 105.1 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 66 fertile eggs and 62 infertile eggs. Pedro PaSCALE is taking part in the 2023 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Graft Cider.
SAMANA – Samana is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 24, 2023, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 154.0 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 107.2 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 81 fertile eggs and 30 infertile eggs. Samana was originally flipper tagged while nesting Costa Rica. She is taking part in the 2023 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Atlantis Paradise Island.
TURINA – Turtina is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 24, 2023, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 146.1 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 106.9 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 92 fertile eggs and 22 infertile eggs. Turtina was riginally flipper tagged while nesting at Chiriqui Beach, Panama in 2020. She is taking part in the 2023 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Certina.
2022 Turtles
BIG BLUE – Big Blue is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 8, 2022, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 156.6 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 114.2 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 45 fertile eggs and 21 infertile eggs. Big Blue is taking part in the 2022 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Atlantis Paradise Island.
CUPER-INA II – CUper-ina II is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 12, 2022, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 147.7 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 105.2 cm curved carapace width. CUper-ina II is taking part in the 2022 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Cobre Panamá.
CERTINADA – Certinada is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 9, 2022, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 157.3 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 108.5.2 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 69 fertile eggs and 28 infertile eggs. Certinada is taking part in the 2022 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponosr, Certina.
SUPER – Super is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 8, 2022, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 133.1 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 108.9 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 62 fertile eggs and 34 infertile eggs. Super is taking part in the 2022 Tour de Turtles and was named by her Sponsor, Supercell.
2021 Turtles
EUNOIA – Eunoia is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 25, 2021, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 151.3 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 108.6 cm curved carapace width, and she laid 77 fertile eggs and 37 infertile eggs. STC researchers believe that she has been satellite tagged before, but she had lost her flipper tags, so we were unable to identify her previous satellite tag number. Eunoia was named by her Sponsor, NOGU.
2020 Turtles
Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, STC was not able to deploy transmitters on leatherbacks from Panama or Costa Rica. For 2020, STC partnered with Florida Leatherbacks, Inc. to deploy transmitters on leatherbacks nesting in Florida. Learn more about this project at Florida Leatherback Tracking & Conservation Project.
JUJUBE – Jujube is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 25, 2019, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 148.0 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 109.2 cm curved carapace width. Jujube was named by her sponsor, Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas, and is taking part in the 2019 Tour de Turtles.
SHELLY – Shelly (locally known as Cera Cry, “Big Tortoise”) is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 25, 2019, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 147.6 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 103.6 cm curved carapace width. She was named by her sponsor, Tarte. Shelly was seen nesting again in Soropta on June 3, 2019.
LUCAYA – Lucaya is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on May 27, 2018, on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measured 151.5 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 108.4 cm curved carapace width. Lucaya was named by her sponsor, Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
LINCOLN – Lincoln is an adult female leatherback sea turtle released with a satellite transmitter from Chiriqui Beach, Panama on May 31, 2017. She measured 151.3 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 111.0 cm in curved carapace width. She was previously flipper tagged while nesting on a different beach, but has been seen nesting on Chiriqui Beach in 2006, 2009 and 2011. Lincoln was named by her sponsor, The Explorer’s Club, and took part in the 2017 Tour de Turtles.
LADY AURELIA – An adult female leatherback sea turtle released with a satellite transmitter from Soropta Beach, Panama on May 28, 2016. She measured 151.1 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and 112.6 cm in curved carapace width. She was originally flipper tagged by beach monitors on Pacuare beach in Costa Rica, over 75 miles (120 km) away. Lady Aurelia was seen nesting again two more times, about 9 days apart, on Soropta Beach. Named by her sponsor, New England Cord Blood Bank, Inc.
BIMINI – Bimini is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 12, 2010, on Luquillo-Fajardo Beach, Puerto Rico in cooperation with Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales. She measured 166.6 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. Bimini was named by her sponsor, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
NAYA – Naya is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 1, 2009, in Zone 6 on Chiriquí Beach in Panama. She measured 152.5 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, smaller than average for a female leatherback that nests on Chiriquí Beach. She was first observered by STCresearchers nesting in 2002, and observered nesting again in 2004. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after nesting. Naya, which means “Earth” in the native Taino language, was named by the transmitter sponsor, InterContinental Hotel & Resorts – San Juan.
MARITIME – Maritime is an adult leatherback sea turtle that was encountered nesting on June 9, 2008, in Zone 2 on Chiriquí Beach in Panama. Named “Yessica” (pronounced “Jessica”) by the local turtle monitors, she measured 157.2 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, which is larger than the average size (152 cm), and 112.3 cm curved carapace width. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished nesting. Maritime was named by the transmitter sponsor, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, CT.
RICKIE – Rickie is an adult female leatherback sea turtle encountered nesting on June 15, 2006, in Zone 2 on Chiriquí Beach in Panama. She measured 150 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, slightly smaller than the average leatherback female seen on Chiriquí Beach. She had first been flipper tagged with metal flipper tags at Long Beach, Panama on April 20, 2006. She then nested two more times at Long Beach. She then nested once at Chiriquí Beach previous to June 15th. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after nesting. Rickie was named by the transmitter sponsor, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, CT.
BRITANNIA – Britannia is an adult female leatherback sea turtle and was encountered nesting on May 27, 2004, at mile 16 4/8 (near Jalova) of the Tortuguero beach. She measured 143.5 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, small for a leatherback. She had already been flipper tagged with metal id tags at the Pacuare Nature Reserve, south of Tortuguero, on March 29, 2001. She had also been seen earlier this season nesting in Tortuguero on April 12, 2004. A leatherback harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished nesting. Britannia’s transmitter was funded by the British Embassy – San Jose, Costa Rica.
2003: The first year of this project was a cooperative effort between Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, and University of Central Florida. The satellite transmitters and attachment harnesses were funded and supplied by Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. Satellite attachment training was provided by researchers with the University of Central Florida. The harnesses and satellite transmitters were attached by Caribbean Conservation Corporation staff in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
CHICA TICA – Chica Tica (“Costa Rican Girl”) is an adult female leatherback sea turtle and was encountered nesting on June 7, 2003, at mile 17 (near Jalova) of the Tortuguero beach. She measured 138.5 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, small for a leatherback. She had already been flipper tagged with metal id tags VA1784 and VA1785 at the Pacuare Nature Reserve, about 12 miles south of Tortuguero, on April 9, 2003. A leatherback harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished nesting.
UPDATE: Chica Tica returned to nest on April 3, 2005, almost two years after being attached with a satellite transmitter & harness. She successfully laid 77 eggs on a beach just south of Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Her transmitter harness was removed after she nested.
