Post nesting movements of olive ridley turtles in Australia, 2004
A project of WWF Australia in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.
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| Name | Species | Life Stage | Release Date | Last Location | Days Transmitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milika | Olive Ridley | Adult | 2004-04-19 | 2004-05-08 | 19 |
| Kitirayuwu | Olive Ridley | Adult | 2004-04-20 | 2004-06-21 | 62 |
| Jika | Olive Ridley | Adult | 2004-04-21 | 2005-01-29 | 283 |
| Mel | Olive Ridley | Adult | 2004-04-21 | 2004-05-31 | 40 |
| Milly | Olive Ridley | Adult | 2004-04-19 | 2004-05-17 | 28 |
Click on an animal's name for maps and more information.
Introduction
Little is known about olive ridley turtles in Australia. We know very little about their nesting biology and foraging grounds and nothing about their migratory routes. In Australia, the status of olive ridley turtles was recently elevated to "Endangered" because of high mortality in certain areas. One incident killed over 200 olive ridley turtles in a set net in 1992. http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn57/mtn57p5.shtml
In partnership with the Tiwi Land Council this project will track the movements of five olive ridley turtles from their nesting beach on the Tiwi Islands to unknown feeding grounds. This project will add vital information needed for the protection of this species in Australia.
Olive ridley nesting sites in the Northern Territory can be found at www.wildlife.ntu.edu.au/publications/books_reports.html
Location
The Tiwi Islands are located approximately 80 km to the north of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. Two islands, Bathurst and Melville, make up the Tiwi Islands, with Melville the second largest Island in Australia, after Tasmania. The Tiwi Islands was proclaimed an Aboriginal Reserve in 1912. Tiwi is the main language spoken on the islands. The population of the islands is approximately 2500. The four settlements are Nguiu and Wurankuwu on Bathurst Island and Pularumpi (Garden Point) and Milikapiti (Snake Bay) on Melville Island. The olive ridley nesting beach is approximately 25 km north of Garden Point. The Tiwi Islands are famous for their art and the production of Australian Football stars.
Project Partners
This project is conducted in partnership with the Tiwi Land Council and their Marine Ranger Program. This project could not have been conducted without the local knowledge and enthusiam of Jack Long (Marine Ranger, Tiwi Land Council), the organisation by Kate Hadden (Secretary Land and Resource Development, Tiwi Land Council) and assistance from Ray Chatto (Parks and Wildife Service, NT).
To learn more about the Tiwi Islands and the Tiwi Land Council visit www.users.bigpond.com/tiwilc/TLC.htm
Project Sponsors
This project is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage.
