Update on Llewellyn and Ehrhart
Editor’s Note: In 2022, the STPS Board of Directors provided funding for 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. She has been providing periodic updates to STPS as she tracks the turtles.
By DEAN BAGLEY
UCF Marine Turtle Research Group Researcher
July 30, 2023
Here’s your latest update on the boys. I’m trying something different in terms of mapping so that you don’t have to wait on me to send maps. These are what are called “live maps” (see links below) and are created from my GPS data sent by Argos satellite via the Wildlife Computers Portal. I don’t think they’re as pretty, but they check for new data and update automatically every twelve hours.
Unfortunately, both males are possibly back in their foraging grounds, but Ehrhart just arrived and has only had 4 locations there so maybe he will continue on or at least we can watch the location increase in size as he adds more hits. I am still hoping to hear from Inwater Research that they have captured their third male. If that happens soon and I’m able to attach a transmitter, I’ll know how to set up his map immediately.
The update is that Llewellyn seems content in the same area east of Elliott Key since arriving on 7-17-23. His most recent location was on 7-28 at 4:25 PM.
Ehrhart continued south along the coast from Pompano Beach where he was at the last update on 7-21, and reached the north side of Miami/Biscayne Bay on 7-26. He continued south to about halfway down the bay and stopped on 7-27. He’s only had four locations there so he’s either checking it out, resting or has arrived where he wants to be. Only time can tell us that. His last location was on 7-28-23 at 6:55 PM.
To access the maps: Click on the individual link for each turtle. It will bring up the latest map. If you click on the track, it will show you the deploy date and his most recent location. To remove those entries, click on “Deployments” in the menu on the right. To change the map view or to add labels for cities, click on the “Satellite” box. You can zoom in and out at will. Links are as follows:
August 5, 2023
Llewellyn seems content in his foraging area. He has been spending his time in a roughly 5km area east of Elliott Key. Ehrhart stopped about 10km north of Llewellyn, and about 4km east of an island known as the Boca Chita Key Historic District. It’s a small, beautiful Key with a lighthouse, docking for visiting boaters, and a history that goes back to the 1930’s. Ehrhart has meandered a little south since he first arrived, but seems to have settled in that area.
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