On your marks, get ready, wait.
The Sea Turtle Conservancy plans to outfit a loggerhead with a tracking device early Monday, June 23, for its annual Tour de Turtles, but for race-watchers the official competition doesn’t begin until Friday, Aug. 1.
Of course, while we’re waiting for the Tour de Turtles marathon officially to get underway in August, AMI’s entry will just go on doing what adult female loggerheads do — swimming, nesting and such.
The Gainesville-based Sea Turtle Conservancy launched the Tour de Turtles in 2008 to gather scientific information about sea turtles using satellite telemetry and also an engaging way to inform the public about the marine animals, nesting activity and habitat conservation.
STC partners with organizations and sponsors — including Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and Hurricane Hanks on AMI — to conduct the Tour de Turtles and track the migration of four species from nesting beaches to foraging grounds.
There are two marathons each year. One, which began June 16, features leatherbacks. The second, which starts Aug. 1 and continues for three months, will feature loggerheads and other sea turtles, but not leatherbacks.
The small, low-wattage trackers to be attached to the turtles transmit codes that allow researchers to determine the latitude and longitude coordinates for the location of the turtle, the number of dives taken during the past 24 hours, the duration of the most recent dive and the water temperature.
Using computer mapping programs, or by hand-plotting the location data, researchers can then visually see the turtles’ location, the route they traveled and how fast they are swimming.
The tour winners are the sea turtles that swim the greatest distance, the most miles, and there’s also fan-favorite or people’s choice awards.
Who will be rooting for the home team?
More information
For more information about the Sea Turtle Conservancy and its Tour de Turtles, go to tourdeturtles.org.
Save the date
The Sea Turtle Conservancy, in collaboration with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, plans to hold a public release of a loggerhead sea turtle at 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 23, at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
People should arrive early to get a look at the turtle, which will be held after nesting overnight on the beach, tagged and released.
The release location could change, depending on nesting activity overnight June 22-23.
The date also could change, depending on nesting activity and the weather
Nesting by the numbers
As of June 13, AMITW reported a total of 209 nests —207 loggerhead and two green, 357 false crawls and 17 disorientations.
It’s elementary
Class lessons from AMITW, AME
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, during the 2024-25 academic year, invited teachers and students at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach to compose questions about sea turtles, shorebirds and AMITW’s work on the beaches. Over the next couple of months, the Islander will share AME questions and AMITW answers.
Nicole Ditzel’s third-grade class: How long can a sea turtle stay underwater (and hold its breath)?
AMITW: When resting, sea turtles can hold their breath for several hours.
However, when they are active, they must come up for air every 5-7 minutes.
Talking turtles
The city of Holmes Beach will host Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring for weekly talks about sea turtle and shorebird nesting.
Sea Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts talks continue most Mondays at 10 a.m. through August at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
For more information, call turtle watch at 941-301-8434 or go to www.islandturtlewatch.com.