In partnership with STC, WWF Guianas, is currently monitoring the movement of marine turtles in coastal and off-shore waters, especially in the peak of the marine turtle nesting season, in an effort to reduce turtle mortality at sea. The sandy beaches of the Guianas are nesting sites for at least three of the world’s marine turtle species. These are the giant leatherback, the green turtle, and the Olive ridley turtle. Worldwide, one mayor threat to the survival of marine turtles is fisheries bycatch or the accidental capture of marine turtles in fishing gear. When marine turtle migrating and foraging activities occur at the same time and place with artisanal and commercial fishing activities, the chance of a marine turtles swimming into fishing gear is very high. By tracking the movements of turtles at sea, it is possible for fishermen, scientists, government agencies and conservationists to get into dialogue to take action to reduce the risk of accidental capture in fishing nets, hooks, rope and other fishing gear.
The three sea turtle nesting beaches where turtles were satellite tagged were Babusanti Beach of the Galibi Nature Reserve in Suriname, Matapica Beach in the Matapica Nature Reserve in Suriname, and Shell Beach in Guyana.
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.
2012 Turtles
ALMA – Alma is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 21, 2012, on Shell Beach, Guyana. She measured 147 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. A satellite transmitter was applied to her shell after she finished nesting.
MORUCA – Moruca is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 21, 2012, on Shell Beach, Guyana. She measured 167 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. A satellite transmitter was attached to her shell after she finished nesting.
ROSA – Rosa is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 21, 2012, on Shell Beach, Guyana. She measured 156 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. A satellite transmitter was attached to her shell after she finished nesting.
SEKANTI – Sekanti is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 19, 2012, on Matapica Beach, Suriname. She measured 156 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. A satellite transmitter was attached to her shell after she finished nesting.
ESI – Esi is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 19, 2012, on Matapica Beach, Suriname. She measured 146 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. A satellite transmitter was attached to her shell after she finished nesting.
In 2010 and 2011, STC worked with WWF to satellite tag sea turtles in Suriname and Guyana.
ABBE – Abbe is an adult female green sea turtle. She was encountered nesting on the morning of May 11, 2011, on Shell Beach, Guyana. She measured 112 cm in curved carapace (shell) length.
AMYJA – Abbe is an adult female green sea turtle. She was encountered nesting on Galibi Beach, Suriname, in 2010.
CARA – Cara is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 9, 2011, on Shell Beach, Guyana. She measured 156 cm in curved carapace (shell) length and laid 97 eggs in her nest.
GAYLE – Gayle is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting on Galibi Beach, Suriname, in 2011. She measured 159 cm in curved carapace (shell) length.
LUNE – Lune is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting the night of May 9, 2011, on Matapica Beach, Suriname. She measured 140 cm in curved carapace (shell) length.
AITKANTI – Aitkanti (pronounced “eyet-can-tea”) is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting on the morning of June 25, 2005, on Samsambo Beach in Suriname. She measured 147.5 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. Aitkanti had already been pit tagged during the 2001 nesting season. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished nesting.KAWANA – Kawana (pronouced “ka-wanna”) is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. She was encountered nesting on the morning of June 26, 2005, on Samsambo Beach in Suriname. She measured 152 cm in curved carapace (shell) length. Kawana had not previously been encountered on this beach and was not pit or metal id tagged. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished nesting.