We have been anxiously watching and waiting to see if, when, and where Dylan will transmit another signal. The tracking map below (found at http://www.seaturtle.org/) shows her last high-class ‘hit’ was on Sunday, July 6.
It is not abnormal to find juvenile sea turtles in the inter-coastal waterways. They are young and curious, much like teenagers, and spend their ‘growing up’ time in the inshore waters. Dylan has extra curiosity being that she’s never been in the ocean. We will continue to monitor her progress as long as she continues to transmit a signal. Dylan is a unique case and while we are not sure of her fate, we sincerely believe that she will (or has already) revert to natural instincts and find her way in this new home.
Since her last high-quality “hit” on July 6, there have been a few lower-grade “hits” which have a lower accuracy rate, however it shows us that she is still transmitting. Please note that a few things could have gone wrong with the transmitter as well. If she is not on the surface long enough, her transmitter will not give us good “hits” (more accurate location). Only the good “hits” are reliable enough to post on her tracking with any credibility. There is also the chance that her transmitter malfunctioned, the battery died, or the transmitter was removed (turtles often scratch their carapaces on rocks or reef ledges). Also because the environment she is in behind Cumberland (mud, marsh grass, etc.), it is possible that the switches, antennae, etc. could be fouled and therefore not transmitting a signal. If she moves into clearer waters, perhaps it will start transmitting again.
Please note that the website that hosts and manages the satellite tracking data(http://www.seaturtle.org/) is a separate entity from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC). We have no control over any problems you are facing with their website. You must contact them directly. Since Dylan was a cooperative project between the GSTC and the Georgia Aquarium, it is listed separately from Vida, Spitfire and Bevelyn. You’ll have to do an ‘animal search’ from the general tracking link.
Please continue to visit our BLOG (accessible through our website www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org) for any updates about Dylan that may become available.
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Education and Field Coordinator
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:01 pm |
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