Tiny turtles tagged

By customising tiny 9gm tags usually used for birds, scientists have been able to track a group of 4-6 month old turtles.  The turtles were released in Palm Beach.  Prof Wyneken of Florida Atlantic University said "The turtles varied a lot in their movements, more so than we expected.  They're likely doing much more than just paddling straight to the deep water and riding the current."

Now if we could only raise £32,000 we could tag one of our own little loggerheads!

Read the full story here.

Tag a Turtle Project, Newquay, England

The Tag a Turtle project aims to raise enough funds to satellite tag the next turtle that finds itself lost and in need of rehabilitation at the Blue Reef Aquariam in Newquay.  Many of the recently stranded turtles have been loggerheads.
The project needs to raise £3,000.  Congratulations to Nicola and Nicole on this great initiative.
You can read more about in on their website Tag a Turtle

Cape Verde Shearwater in danger

Sadly it's not only the turtles that face extinction in Cape Verde. 

The Cape Verde shearwater (calonectris edwardsii, known here as the cagarra) also faces a severe threat from hunting.  The birds are killed for food just before they are ready to leave the nest.

Even after awareness campaigns and other activities hunting of the fledglings continue, as José Melo says "it is causing the extinction of a species that only exists in Cape Verde, 70% of them on Raso islet and also near Rombo islet, next to Brava.  It doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.”

Read the full article here