Early last Monday morning I released the first of 15 satellite tracked sea turtles into waters of Australia’s most easterly point, Byron Bay. “Demi” as she became affectionately known in our sea turtle hospital was rescued by a member of the public at a popular beach called “The Pass” (June blog). She is an adult female Hawksbill turtle, a critically endangered species on a global scale. When she arrived she was covered in a thick layer of barnacles which indicated she had been suffering from what is commonly referred to as 'float syndrome'. The barnacles had covered her eyes causing blindness. After nine months of care and rehabilitation, Demi proved to be an ideal candidate for my satellite tracking research into sea turtles of northern New South Wales, and for the first time the countless volunteers who had cared for her over that time are able to track her progress as she returns to the wild.
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Demi's Wildlife Computers tracker weighs in at about 110 grams and is mounted on a small stage high and forward on her shell to ensure the aerial is exposed to the air when she comes up to the surface to breathe. By passing a magnet over a small switch inside the sealed case, the tracker was live and Demi’s first satellite-tracked position was recorded at the Ballina rehabilitation facility. I don’t think I have ever been as excited about a small, flashing, red light as I was when we activated her tracker. The device is powered by AA batteries, so the tracker could last as long as the batteries do, an optimistic outlook is around 270 days. I wore a path as I paced around the house while the epoxy was setting. Even though turtles are quite capable of it, it rattles my nerves to dry-dock one. In good time we were in the truck and on a short drive north. Finally it was time to return her to where she was found on the gleaming white beaches of the bay, albeit with a little extra luggage.
I really don’t have any assumptions about which direction she will head in. Hawksbill turtles are far more common across the north of Australia. On her first day Demi charged through the protected Cape Byron Marine Park zone and straight into a commercial fishing zone for no less than five industries, including Southern Bluefin Tuna, Eastern Tuna and Billfish, Eastern Skipjack, Southern Squid Jig, Eastern Scalefish and Shark. She appears to have spent some time, either feeding or resting, around 17 kilometres offshore on a part of the continental shelf known as ‘the terrace’. I’ll find out more about my local sea turtle feeding areas the longer she stays in the Northern Rivers, so I hope she stays here for as long as possible.
This is very exciting discovery science in my backyard and I can’t wait for the next installment. The tracks of this turtle and others in this project will chart the course for my future benthic habitat surveys. Stay tuned!
This is a collaborative project between Australian Seabird Rescue and James Cook University.
Related media:
Northern Star newspaper
Prime7 News
