SCCF Launches New Website to Track Sea Turtles in Real Time

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) has unveiled an exciting new tool for conservation and public education: a real-time sea turtle tracking website. This innovative platform allows the public to follow the journeys of satellite-tagged sea turtles as they migrate across the ocean, offering insights into their movement patterns and behavior in relation to changing water temperatures.

“While most sea turtle research happens on nesting beaches, satellite tags help us understand what happens during the vast majority of their lives at sea,” said Kelly Sloan, SCCF’s Coastal Wildlife Director. “These tags give us location data even when we don’t see the turtles again on land.”

The long-term goal? To learn more about how environmental conditions—like water depth and temperature—influence where and how these turtles travel and feed. Beginning next summer, SCCF plans to enhance its research even further by using advanced tags that track not only location, but also dive depth and sea temperature.

A Partnership Rooted in Conservation and Community

This public-facing website was developed through a collaboration with Sanibel-based Hammerhead Technology, a company recognized for its conservation-driven tech solutions across the U.S. and Latin America. One of Hammerhead’s key contributors, Corrie Presland-Byrne, has a master’s in conservation technology and first met Sloan in 2017 as a wildlife intern at CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife).

“We brainstormed how our GIS work could support SCCF’s research,” said Presland-Byrne. “That’s when the idea for a public turtle tracker was born—and we were happy to donate our services to make it happen.”

SCCF raised funds for the satellite tags through its Nest Fest event in April, while Hammerhead Technology donated their time and expertise to design and launch the tracker site.

Founded by Sanibel resident Peter Presland-Byrne, Hammerhead partners with nonprofits, governments, and private clients to create software solutions for conservation. Their work includes everything from tracking wildlife migrations to preventing howler monkey electrocution on power lines in Costa Rica.

“As a Sanibel-based company, it’s rewarding to bring our global work full circle by helping our own community,” Peter shared.

Meet the Turtles: MumSea and Queen Tutt

So far, two loggerhead sea turtles have been outfitted with the new satellite tags:

MumSea, named by SCCF supporter Linda Linsmayer, and
Queen Tutt, named by long-time SCCF volunteer Frances Tutt and her husband Simon.

MumSea was recently spotted nesting again on Sanibel Island on June 20, giving researchers even more data to work with.

“We’ve used metal flipper tags and microchips since 2016, but these new satellite tags provide a much clearer picture of turtle behavior at sea,” said Sloan. “Having a public website makes it easier to share and collaborate on this data with researchers around the world.”

Fostering Conservation Through Engagement

The SCCF hopes that this new tool won’t just support research—but will also inspire locals and visitors alike to care more deeply about sea turtles and marine ecosystems.