Bermuda Turtle Project

LAGUNA – Laguna is an immature green turtle that was captured in Hospital Bay, Bermuda, on August 18, 2023.

SEA BUSCUIT – RC is an immature green turtle that was captured in Stock’s Harbour, Bermuda, on August 15, 2023. RC measured 48.8 cm straight carapace (shell) length.

LIZZY – Lizzy is an immature green turtle that was captured in Stock’s Harbour, Bermuda, on August 8, 2022. Lizzy measured 51.4 cm straight carapace (shell) length.

SEA BUSCUIT – Sea Biscuit is an immature green turtle that was captured in Paradise Lake Cove, Bermuda, on August 16, 2022. She measured 52.4 cm straight carapace (shell) length.

MULLET – Mullet is an immature green turtle that was captured in Mullet Bay, Bermuda, on August 12, 2021.

MARSHELL – Marsehll is an immature green turtle that was captured near Marshall Island, Bermuda, on August 16, 2021.

RAFAEL – Rafael is an immature green turtle that was captured in a net at Hawkin’s Bay, Bermuda, on August 22, 2019. She measured 55.9 cm straight carapace length. Rafael was captured and originally flipper tagged in Tucker Town Bay, Bermuda in 2005.

YERTLE – Yertle is an immature green turtle that was captured in a net at King Charles’ Hole, Bermuda, on August 19, 2019. She measured 54.7 cm straight carapace length. Yertle was first captured and flipper tagged in 2012 in Somerset Long Bay.

JUBILEE– Jubilee is an immature green turtle that was captured in a net at Rushy Port / King Charles’ Hole, Bermuda, on August 16, 2018 and she measured 65.7 cm straight carapace length. Jubilee was first captured and flipper tagged in 2004. She was named in celebration of the Bermuda Turtle Project celebrating 50 years.

SOIREE– Soirée is an immature green turtle that was captured in a net at Rushy Port / King Charles’ Hole, Bermuda, on August 16, 2018 and she measured 65.7 cm straight carapace length. Jubilee was first captured and flipper tagged in 2004. She was named in celebration of the Bermuda Turtle Project celebrating 50 years.

SHELDON– Sheldon is a 59.0 cm green turtle that was captured in a net at Somerset Long Bay, Bermuda, on 18 August 2017. This was the first time that this turtle had been captured. It weighed 25.4 kilograms.

AQUARIUS – Aquarius is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Somerset Long Bay, Bermuda. He measured 58.5 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 15, 2016.

DOPPLER – Doppler is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Long Bay, Bermuda. He measured 57.1 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 18, 2016.

HARDY – Hardy is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Somerset Long Bay, Bermuda. He measured 67.1 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 10, 2016.

SEA VENTURE – Sea Venture is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Fort Saint Catherine, Bermuda. He has not been previously captured. Sea Venture measured 61.0 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 14, 2015.

RENAISSANCE – Renaissance is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Wreck Hill, Bermuda. He measured 66.5 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 17, 2015.

KIRSTY – Kirsty is a juvenile green sea turtle caught for the first time in Somerset Long Bay, Bermuda. She measured 66.8 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 8, 2014.

RIFFLE – Riffle is a juvenile green sea turtle caught in Wreck Hill, Bermuda. He had been captured once before in August 2001. Riffle measured 63.9 cm straight carapace (shell) length and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 11, 2014.

RELAY – Relay is a juvenile green sea turtle caught at Bailey’s Bay, Bermuda, measuring 69.4 cm straight carapace length. He was released with a satellite transmitter in August 7, 2013. Relay’s transmitter was sponsored by Turtle & Hughes, Inc.

VENTI ANNI – Venti Anni is a juvenile green sea turtle that was satellite tagged and released on August 13, 2013 from Clearwater Beach, Bermuda. He measured 68.0 cm straight carapace length. He was previously captured by researchers in 2003 in Long Bay. Venti Anni’s transmitter was sponsored by RenaissanceRe.

ARCHIE – Archie is a juvenile green sea turtle caught at Wreck Hill, Bermuda. He measured 59.1 cm straight carapace length. He was previously captured by researchers in 2002 and 2004, and was released with a satellite transmitter in August 10, 2012. Archie’s transmitter was sponsored by Sea Turtle Conservancy.

CATHERINE – A juvenile green sea turtle caught at Ft. St. Catherine’s, Bermuda, measuring 54.5 cm straight carapace length. Previously captured by researchers in 2010, and released with a satellite transmitter on August 8, 2012. Catherine’s transmitter was sponsored by Bermuda Department of Conservation Services.

CHUBBY – Chubby is a juvenile green sea turtle caught at Chubb Head, Bermuda, measuring 50.0 cm straight carapace length. He was released with a satellite transmitter in July 30, 2012. Chubby’s transmitter was sponsored by Bermuda Department of Conservation Services.

FRIPPER – Fripper is a juvenile green sea turtle caught at Annie’s Bay, Bermuda, measuring 59.1 cm straight carapace length. He was previously captured by researchers in 2003, 2005 and 2011, and was released with a satellite transmitter on August 14, 2012 from Clearwater Beach, Bermuda. Fripper’s transmitter was sponsored by RenaissanceRe.

TUCKER – Tucker is a juvenile green sea turtle caught at Wreck Hill, Bermuda. He measured 63.4 cm straight carapace length and was released with a satellite transmitter in August 10, 2012. Tucker’s transmitter was sponsored by Bermuda Department of Conservation Services.

IAN – Ian, a 65.5 cm juvenile green sea turtle, was captured with an entanglement net and satellite-tagged by the Bermuda Turtle Project on August 3, 2011 at Blue Hole, Bermuda. Ian had been caught three times before, in 2003, 2007 and 2010, at Blue Hole. The site, Blue Hole, is a seagrass bed off of a nature park that fronts Castle Harbor. It is one of the sites that has been set by the project since 1978. This is one of Clay’s original study sites and it is one monitored at least once every year. Researchers believe that these immature greens in developmental habitat remain more-or-less in the same area for many years, in this case 8 years so far. The turtles was named after Dr. Ian Walker, Principle Curator of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

TIMMY – Timmy, a 48.4 cm straight carapace length juvenile green sea turtle, was captured with an entanglement net and satellite-tagged by the Bermuda Turtle Project on August 11, 2011 at an area called The Vixen, Bermuda. The turtle was named after Tim Hasselbring, the captain of the RV Endurance (the project’s main research vessel). She had been caught twice before, in 2004 and 2007, also at The Vixen.

BERMEYLAN – Bermeylan, a 28.5-inch immature green turtle, was captured with an entanglement net and satellite-tagged by the Bermuda Turtle Project on July 24, 2006, at Ferry Reach in Castle Harbor, Bermuda. The turtle had originally been tagged at this same site nearly a year prior, on August 5, 2005. Although the turtle is the approximate size at which green turtles typically depart from Bermuda and travel to feeding grounds in the Caribbean, the exact timing of the turtle’s eventual departure is unknown. The turtle may remain in Bermuda for months or even years, likely at the same site where the two captures took place. It is hoped, however, that Bermeylan will make a departure while the batteries for the satellite transmitter are still working, so that we can observe the route of travel and final destination. A previously tracked Bermuda turtle, “Bermudiana”, traveled from Bermuda to the eastern end of Cuba where she was captured (see Bermudiana track). Bermeylan was named by the participants of the International In-water Course on the Biology and Conservation of Marine Turtles which took place in Bermuda from 17 to 28 July 2006.

VIXEN – Vixen is a female green turtle 71.8 cm in straight carapace length. She was first captured in Bermuda on grass beds off the west end of the island on June 13, 1997 when she was 56.4 cm in length. Her second capture was on August 7, 2003 when she was caught at a site called The Vixen, just east of her original site. The site is named after a shipwrecked vessel whose bow is still visible above the water’s surface. The turtle’s sex was determined by the hormone content of a blood sample. A genetic sample taken in 2003 will help to determine the nesting beach where she was born. Vixen is at the upper end of the size range of green turtles found in Bermuda, and it is hoped that the satellite transmitter (#11677) will document her migration to a feeding ground elsewhere in the Caribbean. The majority of recaptures of turtles tagged in Bermuda have been made off the eastern coast of Nicaragua.Vixen was satellite-tagged during a regular sampling session of the Bermuda Turtle Project. Drs. Peter and Anne Meylan, scientific directors for the project, and Jennifer Gray, project coordinator, were assisted in attaching the transmitter by students participating in the 5th International Course on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. The nine students taking the course this year are from Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, St. Lucia, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the United States.NOTE: No points are posted on Vixen’s map for nearly the first month after the release of Vixen because of a transmitter malfunction. During this period, no dive data were received, and the locations were erratic. Fortunately, the unit started to transmit normally on September 5, 2003.

BERMUDIANA – Bermudiana , a 31-inch immature green turtle, was captured with a net and satellite-tagged by the Bermuda Turtle Project on August 5, 1998 on the seagrass beds off the northwestern end of Bermuda. She was the second-largest green turtle that has been handled by the project since it began in 1968, and thus, it was expected that she would soon be departing the Bermuda platform. About two weeks later, she did, in fact, depart and embarked on a south/southwestward course that took her to the north coast of the Dominican Republic – a journey of approximately 1500 km – in a little less than a month! She then took a westward course along the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and was in this area when Hurricane Georges passed by. There were no observable effects of the hurricane. Several days later, however, satellite transmissions were disrupted, and when they resumed, sensors indicated that the turtle was no longer diving. At that time, the turtle was located right off the eastern tip of Cuba. Several location signals were then received slightly inland, near the town of Baracoa, and we suspect that the turtle was captured.