{"id":28780,"date":"2025-11-01T00:33:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T00:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/28780\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T00:33:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T00:33:20","slug":"nighttime-tagging-documents-167-sea-turtles-sanibel-captiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/28780\/","title":{"rendered":"Nighttime tagging documents 167 sea turtles – SANIBEL-CAPTIVA"},"content":{"rendered":"


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SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION<\/p>\n

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SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
\nA Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation intern measures Oregano, one of the largest females that the sea turtle team has documented.<\/p>\n

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The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that its sea turtle team documented 167 unique turtles this season, marking its 10th year of nighttime research efforts.<\/p>\n

From May 1 through July 31, the team conducts nightly beach patrols on Sanibel to intercept, tag and identify, and monitor nesting sea turtles.<\/p>\n

When a turtle is encountered, she is first checked for existing tags to determine whether she has been previously identified. If not, new tags are applied.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur efforts allow us to track individual turtles\u2019 nesting and movement patterns over time, providing valuable insight into their reproductive behavior,\u201d SCCF sea turtle biologist Savannah Weber said.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the 2025 season, the team documented 320 sea turtle encounters with 167 individuals \u2014 163 loggerhead turtles and four green turtles. Of these, 100 turtles \u2014 60% of all individuals \u2014 were encountered for the first time.<\/p>\n

Since the program\u2019s launch in 2016, the SCCF\u2019s nighttime tagging project has documented a total of 1,293 sea turtles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are just the turtles we encounter. There are many others that we don\u2019t see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

KEEPING TRACK OF TURTLES WITH NAMING THEME<\/p>\n

The SCCF reported that to help keep track of so many turtles, every individual encountered for the first time receives an honorary name based on the season\u2019s naming theme. This year\u2019s theme was \u201cSpace,\u201d inspiring names like Neptune, Big Dipper, Supernova and Galileo.<\/p>\n

The team also encountered 67 returning females previously documented, accounting for 40% of all individuals. It marks a notable increase from the previous year, when returning females made up 27% of all individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile most sea turtles nest every two to three years, several of last year\u2019s nesters returned again this season \u2014 including fan favorite Oregano, who was first tagged in 2018 during the spice-themed naming season,\u201d Weber said. \u201cOregano has now nested on Sanibel for four consecutive years \u2014 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n

In July, she was observed laying one nest on Sanibel\u2019s west end. Oregano is also one of the largest females that the team has documented, with a shell measuring just over 3.2 feet long.<\/p>\n

SHARING DATA REGIONALLY<\/p>\n

To help understand the regional sea turtle nesting behaviors of individuals, the SCCF shares its data with: the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, which does nighttime tagging on Keewaydin Island; Mote Marine Laboratory, which does nighttime tagging on Casey Key; and Sarasota County, which does nighttime tagging on Manasota Key.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes all of our efforts more valuable to share data,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The SCCF reported the following previous numbers of unique individuals encountered:<\/p>\n

\u2013 2024: 187<\/p>\n

\u2013 2023: 222 (broke record of 188 set in 2020)<\/p>\n

\u2013 2022: 125<\/p>\n


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