Esther, a loggerhead sea turtle tagged and released June 20 on Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach as part of the Tour de Turtles, likely nested several times before she was tagged, said Sea Turtle Conservancy communications coordinator Lexie Beach.
Beach, in an Aug. 29 email to The Islander, said there were no reports of Esther landing and laying more eggs since her tagging.
The Tour de Turtles hard-shell category started Aug. 1 and can be followed at tourdeturtles.org.
Esther traveled 194 miles through Sept. 1 and remained in seventh place.
The Waterline Resort, Mainsail Vacation Rentals, both in Holmes Beach, and AMITW worked with STC to tag Esther.
Each turtle has a cause. Esther’s is light pollution.
— Samara Paice
