Loggerhead sea turtle ‘Suzi’ released into race

The nesting mother was outfitted with a satellite monitor and released. Her location will be tracked.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – As hundreds of delighted onlookers gathered to see a publicized turtle release at Coquina Beach, loggerhead sea turtle “Suzi” made a grand entrance from the sand to the water. She hesitated several times walking on the beach, appearing to look at the crowd that had gathered, but once she reached the water she was in her element and took off swimming.

The June 27 release, however, won’t be the last time Suzi’s whereabouts will be known. Just after nesting in Bradenton Beach, she was outfitted with a satellite monitor and is the latest turtle to join the Sea Turtle Conservancy's Tour de Turtles race. Swimming to raise awareness of the effect light pollution has on sea turtles, Suzi will be monitored for several months by satellite.

“She nested right here and we boxed her up. We dedicated the nest that she laid to Suzi Fox, so we have a plaque here,” said Kristin Mazzarella, executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. “She’s now part of the Tour de Turtles race.”

Turtle Watch volunteer Barbara Riskay praised the naming of the loggerhead in commemoration of Suzi Fox, the former executive director of Turtle Watch who died last year.

“It was a no-brainer to name her ‘Suzi,’ ” Riskay said.

Within three days of her release, loggerhead Suzi had traveled 16 miles at an average speed of .25 mph.

“Started in 2008, the Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration using satellite telemetry,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy website. “Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, with help from sponsors and partners, this event follows the marathon migration of sea turtles, representing four different species, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds.”

By tracking sea turtles, scientists have learned a lot about them.

“We now know that sea turtles are highly migratory, often traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles between the beaches where they lay their eggs and the foraging (feeding) grounds where they spend much of their time at sea,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy website.

“Since most research conducted on marine turtles has been carried out on nesting beaches and well over 90% of a sea turtle’s life is spent in the water - feeding, mating, migrating and doing whatever else a sea turtle does when no one is watching - we are missing important information that can help us better protect sea turtles.” Visit The Sun's Facebook page for weekly updates in "Where's Suzi?" and visit amisun.com for weekly updates on sea turtle nesting activity in "Nesting News."