“Now, that’s a loggerhead! That’s a sea turtle!” Dan Evans, technology and research specialist for the Sea Turtle Conservancy exclaimed June 19 about Eliza Ann, a more than 300-pound loggerhead sea turtle that was tagged and released June 20 at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring partnered with the Sea Turtle Conservancy to tag and release a nesting female loggerhead sea turtle.
The tagging is part of the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 10th annual Tour de Turtles. As part of the tour, sea turtles are tagged and released from beaches in Costa Rica, Panama, Nevis and Florida. The turtles then compete in a “marathon,” a competition for which turtle swims the most miles during the three-month “race.” During the race, the turtles travel to nutrient-rich seagrass beds to replenish weight lost while nesting.
The turtle’s migration will be tracked using satellite telemetry. Every time Eliza Ann raises her head above water, the antenna on her tracker will send a signal, letting conservancy research scientists — and visitors to the Tour de Turtles website — know where she is.
This could help researchers learn more about the migratory and feeding patterns of sea turtles, according to Evans. He has been researching sea turtles for 17 years.
The island’s turtle is nicknamed Eliza Ann for the restaurant at the Waterline Resort and Marina — expected to open in August in Holmes Beach.
Waterline paid $5,000 to sponsor AMITW in the race.
“This is really exciting,” Sandy Zinck, Waterline general manager said June 20. “Educating guests about our amazing island ecology is very important to us.”
AMITW volunteers and Waterline representatives assisted Evans in tagging Eliza Ann after she nested, and the release to the Gulf of Mexico.
AMITW volunteers were out in force, combing the island beaches after sunset June 19 and it didn’t take long to spot a nesting female. It was located on the beach south of the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach. She nested and was held on the beach by volunteers.
Soon after, AMITW executive director Suzi Fox received a call from another volunteer that a large sea turtle was nesting at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
Volunteers released the first turtle, then gathered at Coquina Beach to see the chosen turtle — Eliza Ann.
AMITW volunteer Dave Ault, the volunteer who found Amie, the 2015 AMITW entry in the race, saw Eliza Ann on the beach as she made her crawl.
“She is so big that it took everything we had to hold her back before they got her into the box,” Ault said.
“She’s about as big as they get,” Evans said.
After she nested, she was placed in a large ventilated box by the conservancy staff and held for release in the morning.
Evans, with help from Tom Haines, Waterline vice president of operations, prepared the sea turtle’s shell for the tracking device and placed it with epoxy. The epoxy was given about two hours to dry before the release. Evans said the device will perform for six months to two years. The life of the device depends on how fast the sea turtle shell grows, or if the antenna becomes damaged.
AMITW volunteers and Waterline staff “baby-sat” the loggerhead until it was time for her release at about 8:30 a.m. June 20.
Once the device was placed, about 100 people watched from the shore as Eliza Ann crawled to the Gulf.
In 2015, AMITW participated in the Tour de Turtles, but finished in last place with Amie, a loggerhead sea turtle tagged June 23, 2015, at Coquina Beach. The transmitter on Amie named for Anna Maria Island Elementary — was lost Dec. 15, 2015.
Before losing the tracker, Amie had traveled 992 miles in the Gulf.
“We had really stormy conditions the night we tagged Amie, so that may have contributed to problems with the tracking device,” Fox said. “Not having storms this time really helped, and hopefully Eliza Ann will give us good information.”
To track Eliza Ann, visit https://conserveturtles.org/trackingmap/?id=171
For more information on the sea turtle habitat, or to report a sick, injured or dead sea turtle, contact Fox at suzilfox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.
