Happy's Big Adventure

[roo1788]

Great video...makes me miss the open water even more. Can't wait to get wet again. Thanks Rick!

 

[sharon]

Is there an online site tracking Happy? I've been watching Fisher go on a turtle tracking website. He was released by the Newport Aquarium when he finally got too big for their tanks. He was born along the coast of NC, I think and was released there. He immediately traveled across the Atlantic and is hanging around off the coast of Africa.

Sometimes you get to feeling down and when you need a lift in the worst way you see something that makes you smile all over. Hardly any activity in the ocean brings more squeals and joy than the sighting of a sea turtle. You want to get close and watch the magnificence and grace as long as possible. Sea turtles are, well, just wonderful creatures.

On June 29 at 9:45 in the morning a turtle dubbed Happy broke through an eggshell and headed for the sea. Turtle experts checked her out and equipped her with a radio transponder. Happy made her way to the ocean just nine days after my own birthday. Almost immediately she got the travel groove and headed north. She has been averaging 45 kilometers each day and is presently 375 kilometers from her origin still going strong. We’re sure she has a destination in mind but only she and Mother Nature know for sure where that will be.

In 2003 two female Hawksbills were tracked. Nautila and Schillie also headed north riding their natural instinct to distant homes. Nautila’s destination turned out to be the Navidad Banks and Schillie picked Mona Island near Puerto Rico.

Travel on little Happy. The world is watching and we hope so much to see you in person one day in a place with palm trees, sand, sun, and lush coral.

HooAh!

 

[sharon]

Thanks for sharing that great video, I love to hang out with turtles.

Perhaps someday we'll see Happy again... with luck for an encounter like this one
Rick

 

[Tom Smedley]

I haven't found one yet. Got the information off Bonaire newsgroups and the Bonaire Reporter. Still looking.

Is there an online site tracking Happy? I've been watching Fisher go on a turtle tracking website. He was released by the Newport Aquarium when he finally got too big for their tanks. He was born along the coast of NC, I think and was released there. He immediately traveled across the Atlantic and is hanging around off the coast of Africa.

 

[Corigan]

I haven't found one yet. Got the information off Bonaire newsgroups and the Bonaire Reporter. Still looking.

I found one Tom! Seaturtle.org. Under the track button there is one for happy from bonaire 2005. Here is the link to Happy:

http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?tag_id=52042

Looks like happy is cruising around the dominican republic right now..

Matt

 

[Tom Smedley]

That is so cool!!! Thanks so much Matt. I wonder what force made her choose the DR. I just hope that she doesn't get jostled too much with Emily approaching.

 

[Rick Murchison]

You didn't mention that Happy was a Loggerhead! You know Loggerheads are my favorites...
Thanks for finding that tracking site, Matt. That's great.
Rick

 

[justleesa]

I found one Tom! Seaturtle.org. Under the track button there is one for happy from bonaire 2005. Here is the link to Happy:

http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?tag_id=52042

Looks like happy is cruising around the dominican republic right now..

Matt

I think it's the wrong Happy. According to the data on the site this is an adult 1m big, 130KG Female that was released on the 24th, not the 29th.

But great story and a cool link anyway Thanks

 

[Tom Smedley]

When I first read the article it appeared that Happy was a hatchling. However, it turns out that she must have been in Bonaire to lay eggs and was caught and tagged by the turtle folks. In March we dove at one of the Slaagbai sites and saw a huge loggerhead. Then later on one turned up dead near Sorbonne. The paper said then that the dead turtle was one of two loggerheads that they had been watching. By any means, the trek back to the DR from Klein Bonaire by a single animal is fantastic.

 

[justleesa]

Indeed it is