A team of marine biologists from the University College Cork and the
University Wales Swansea have successfully tracked a second leatherback
turtle from the West Coast of Ireland. Leatherbacks travel to waters
around the Ireland and the UK each summer to feed upon the abundant
supply of jellyfish found in the Northern Atlantic.
The first turtle, 'Cuas' (named after the creek she was released from
on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry) was fitted with a satellite
transmitter last September and has since swam over 8000 kilometres
along the west coast of Africa and up towards Canada. Tom Doyle from
University College Cork added "without the help of the local community,
especially the salmon fisherman Pádraig Frank O'Súilleabháin and the
staff from Dingle Aquarium none of this work would have been possible".
So when the team received a phone call on 29 June this year from Dingle
fisherman, Jimmy Flannery saying a turtle had become entangled in
fishing gear, there was a great mood of excitement. A few hours later
the large male turtle had been released completely unharmed and a small
transmitter attached to his back. As the turtle swam away from Cuas
harbour Jonathan Houghton from the University of Wales Swansea
commented "that is without doubt the biggest turtle I have ever seen!"
This was no exaggeration as the turtle was exceptionally large with a
shell length of 168 cm, some 15 cm bigger than 'Cuas' the turtle from
the previous year.
In the 10 days since the second turtle (yet to be named) left the west
coast of Ireland, he has travelled 700 km south and is presently in the
outer reaches of the Bay of Biscay bordering France and Spain. All data
retrieved from both turtles will provide vital insights to the foraging
behaviour of this endangered species. The project, supported by the
European Union, National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) and the
Marine Institute in Galway, is due to continue until the end of July
yet data will be sent back from the turtles for hopefully another year.
Members of the public can follow both turtles progress with monthly
updates posted on the project web site http://www.turtle.ie
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