Checking in on Everett and Peter

Editor’s Note: This year, the STPS Board of Directors has funded two satellite transmitters for Dean Bagley, a researcher with the University of Central Florida’s Marine Turtle Research Group. STPS has supported Bagley’s work researching male green sea turtles for several years. This year, the board has named the two male green sea turtles being tracked with the satellite transmitters. The first is named Everett, in honor of longtime STPS volunteer Everett Tindall who turned 91 in June. The second turtle has been named Peter, in honor of STPS founder Peter Bandre and the 35^th anniversary of the organization in 2021. Dean Bagley will provide periodic updates to STPS as she tracks the turtles this summer.

By DEAN BAGLEY

UCF Marine Turtle Research Group researcher

Everett has remained in the same general area where we left him last week (New Ground, between the Marquesas and Dry Tortugas), but he has begun to expand his area just a little. It’s hard to tell if he’s just foraging or if he is beginning a slow move to the east. His most recent location was the easternmost red dot, at 12:51 p.m. July 20, 2021.

At the last update on July 14, we left Peter approaching Palm Beach Shores. He has continued to make his way south along the coast, past Biscayne Bay, and seems to be slowing a bit with his last couple of locations as he approaches Key Largo. Whether he is actually slowing down as he looks for his favorite spot or just slowing to rest a bit remains to be seen. His last location can be seen easily as the last hit showing on the map, as of 9:20 p.m. on July 19, 2021.
Stay tuned as we continue to watch and see what they do next!