On July 18, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) successfully deployed its fifth and final satellite tag for the 2025 nesting season on a loggerhead turtle named “Belle.”
Belle joins the ranks of four other turtles that were tagged this season: MumSea, Harper, Queen Tutt, and Emory.
This season marked the first encounter between the SCCF team and Belle, despite her prior satellite tagging by the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium back in 2012.
“Our tracking portal gives the public an opportunity to follow the journeys of our tagged turtles, providing incredible insights into the behaviors of loggerheads that nest on our beaches,” said Kelly Sloan, SCCF Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator. “The movement patterns of our turtles have already been quite diverse this year.”
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MumSea remains in Southwest Florida waters, having nested twice on Sanibel.
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Queen Tutt made a remarkable journey, traveling north to the panhandle before nesting again on Anna Maria Island and continuing south.
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Harper and Emory both swam south post-nesting, with Harper now settled between Cuba and the Bahamas, while Emory continues her journey.
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Belle is also heading south and has been spending time off the coast of Marco Island.
SCCF’s biologists also have access to dive data, providing deeper insights into the turtles’ behaviors.
“By studying dive depth and duration, we can better understand foraging habits, including key feeding areas, foraging strategies, and energy usage,” Sloan explained. “We can also analyze how factors like water temperature influence their dive patterns and foraging. This data is invaluable for shaping our conservation efforts.”
The SCCF’s Sea Turtle Tracking Portal, powered by Hammerhead Technology, offers public access to track these incredible journeys at SCCF’s Sea Turtle Tracking Portal.
First Green Hatchlings Emerge
As of July 30, the SCCF has documented 868 loggerhead nests and 17 green turtle nests on Sanibel and Captiva this season, already surpassing last year’s totals of 839 loggerhead nests and just three green turtle nests.
The season’s first green turtle nest has successfully hatched, with 49 hatchlings emerging.
Since June 26, a total of 8,728 loggerhead hatchlings have made their way into the world from the islands.
For any sea turtle-related issues or nest sightings on Sanibel or Captiva, please contact the SCCF’s Sea Turtle Hotline at 978-728-3663.
