Palmerston's
Mama Onu sets out across the Pacific
After nearly three months of nesting at Palmerston Atoll, Mama
Onu has finally begun migrating back to her feeding grounds.
Green turtles begin to nest on the sandy motus of Palmerston
Atoll in late September. Female turtles emerge from surrounding
waters at night, dig nests, and deposit eggs in a series of
several distinct nesting episodes over their nesting season.
Mama
Onu was first observed nesting at Cook's Islet, Palmerston, on
12 November, 2000, and subsequently satellite tagged before returning
to the water. Mama Onu's satellite tag, the training Hoyt and
Bill required to attach it, and subsequent tracking support are
all provided by George Balazs of the NOAA/NMFS
Honolulu Laboratory.
Fourteen
nights after her first observed nesting, on 26 November, we observed
her nesting again. We assume that she was nesting about every
fourteen nights through 10 February, when she left Palmerston
for her feeding grounds. Where she'll end up is anybody's guess!
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Mama
Onu was tagged on 12 November 2000 at Cook's Islet on
Palmerston Atoll. 14 nights
later, on 26 November, 2000, Mama Onu returned to the
same beach to nest again.
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By
the beginning of February, Mama Onu had not left the immediate
vicinity of Palmerston, resulting in a considerably long
nesting period.
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Mama
Onu finally left Palmerston on 09 February, 2001. Since then
she has covered hundreds of miles. By 5 March she had reached
Tonga, and showed no sign of slowing down. These maps were
generated by Denise Parker and George Balazs of the NOAA/NMFS
Honolulu Laboratory. Mama Onu's location data were received
from the satellite transmitter mounted on her shell. Click
for a wider view of the Pacific.
Close-up
of Mama Onu's track as of 13 March. Notice that she paused
in Tonga for a few days on her way west. Can you guess where
she'll end up!?
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