TRACK THE GREGGY GIRL® TURTLE AT BONAIRE NATURE
TRACK THE GREGGY GIRL® TURTLE AT SEATURTLE.ORG
Greggy Girl® is the second turtle to be tracked via satellite in the 2008 Bonaire turtle nesting season. Found while nesting on Klein Bonaire on August 2, 2008, she’s the fifteenth turtle to be outfitted with a transmitter since the turtle tracking program began in 2003.
With Greggy Girl®, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) achieved the goal of deploying two transmitters on turtles in 2008. Based on the pattern of turtle nesting activity observed on Klein Bonaire during the last few weeks, STCB staff predicted the possible return of a loggerhead turtle to the beach on Friday, August 1, 2008. A field team consisting of STCB's staff and volunteers set out at night to monitor the beach on Klein Bonaire for nesting activity.
Around 9:00 p.m. a large loggerhead was found up on a sand dune and busy digging a hole for placing her nest, and she soon began laying approximately 100 eggs. An hour later, after she covered her nesting area extensively with sand, the approximately 120 kg animal was intercepted by the team on her way toward the sea and a transmitter applied to the top of her carapace. At 12:26 am the loggerhead turtle was released and she quickly departed into the sea.
The female loggerhead has a shell length of 96.7 cm and is estimated to weigh about 120 kg.(approximately 264 lbs) Adult loggerhead turtles come to Bonaire to breed from May through July. The turtle is expected to remain in the area and lay at least one more nest before departing to her home feeding grounds.
"Tracking Greggy Girl®" is being made possible by a full sponsorship provided by Houston, Texas-based children's wear company, JMFA-Greggy Girl, Inc. The popular Greggy Girl® clothing label, www.greggygirl.com ,a favorite of some of the most popular child and young adult stars in Hollywood, is designed by Charlene May, who along with company executive, Cher M. Floyd, gains inspiration from the sea, sailing, and scuba diving. In fact, Mrs. Floyd completed her 450th dive last year in Bonaire. Mrs. Floyd, a long-time supporter of the environment, began working with the STCB in September, 2007. She and her husband, John, are currently on their motor yacht Champagne Cher, which is docked at the Harbor Village Marina in Bonaire, trying to capture underground photos of the Greggy Girl® Turtle.
“It is imperative that we focus our efforts on protecting the reefs and saving endangered animals, like the loggerhead turtles, for future generations,†Mrs. Floyd said. “By participating in this effort to track and monitor Greggy Girl's migratory patterns, we can more effectively protect turtle habitats and ensure that these gentle creatures will survive and thrive throughout the world."
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire exists to ensure the protection and recovery of Bonaire’s sea turtle populations throughout their range. Founded in 1992, the STCB is a Bonaire-based, non-governmental and non-profit organization, part of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network.(Source: STCB)
For more information: http://www.bonairenature.com
Turtle Trivia:
The cute turtle "Squirt" on the Disney blockbuster "Finding Nemo" was a Loggerhead turtle just like the Greggy Girl;® turtle.
Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.
About Loggerheads:
Loggerhead turtles are classified as endangered. They are highly migratory and spend most of their lives out in the open ocean where they are often caught in fishing nets and lines.
Although hunting is less of an issue than for other turtle species, both meat and eggs are highly prized by traditional communities in the Caribbean and Antilles and loggerhead turtle shells are used to make paddle boats in Honduras.
Loggerhead turtles are also found in the Mediterranean. They nest on beaches in Greece, Turkey, Israel, Tunisia and Libya. Here they are at risk from coastal development and tourism that disrupts nesting sites.
The Greggy Girl® Turtle is sponsored by JMFA-Greggy Girl, Inc. www.greggygirl.com
FOR AN INSIDE LOOK AT GREGGY GIRL®. For more press or information, visit www.greggygirl.com
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Greggy Girl®
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