Walt Disney World Sea Turtle Tracking Efforts:  Juvenile Green Sea Turtles

The Walt Disney World Animal Programs team has been involved in sea turtle rehabilitation for many years.  To date, The Living Seas team has cared for and released more than 200 turtles!!  Most of the turtles that find their way to Walt Disney World are animals that have been rescued by various organizations and come to us with medical challenges.   A majority of the turtles suffer from physiological problems attributed to extended periods of time in cold water.  These cold stunned turtles are rescued, rehabilitated at The Living Seas, and then released under the supervision of the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Surprisingly, very little information is known about the movement patterns of juvenile sea turtles.  Once hatchlings leave the nesting beach, it is very difficult for scientists to document where these turtles spend their time.   However, recent advances in technology have made it possible to learn more about the habitats of juvenile sea turtles.  Telonics, Inc., a manufacturer of telemetry devices for monitoring wildlife, has produced a satellite transmitter that is now small enough to be carried by juvenile sea turtles.   In collaboration with the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida, The Living Seas and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we are testing the first satellite transmitters for use on juvenile sea turtles that measure approximately 30-40 cm.

We began working on developing prototype transmitters in 2001 for testing on turtles.  To date we have tested six transmitters that have supplied data with varying degrees of success.  Due to the suspected behavior of sea turtles rubbing against rocks, we believe one of the many obstacles to overcome is transmitter antennae placement and design.  We’ve made a variety of modifications to the design and are now testing a new generation of transmitters.