Yagoo

Barrow Island flatback tracking 2005-2006

A project of West Australian Sea Turtle Satellite Tracking Project.

click map for full-size version As at 1 January 2007, Yagoo had been transmitting for 402 days, the longest transmission from any turtle tracked as part of the Western Australian sea turtle tracking project. She was one of the first two flatbacks to be fitted with a ptt in Western Australia. Her track has provided new information on how flatbacks behave during foraging. This information suggests that flatback turtles do not always remain in shallow nearshore turbid water and also forage in deep offshore waters. Feb 22,2007 Yagoo has not transmitted for 7 days now. Her transmissions have been very consistent over the past 446 days so this long silence may indicate her harness has fallen away or the batteries in the ptt have become drained. We will be sad to see her go but expect to see her nesting next summer on Barrow Island.

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Species: Flatback Turtle
Life Stage: Adult
Gender: Female
Release Date: 2005-11-29 13:00:00
Release Location: Barrow Island
Last Location: 2007-02-13 07:11:34

Adoptive Parents:
Sarah Robinson
Liz Anderson
Cat & Chris

Background

Yagoo is a traditional aboriginal womans name in Nyangumarta (pronounced Nang-a-marta) language. Yagoo was captured while nesting on Barrow Island. A purpose built harness supporting a Kiwisat ptt was attached in an operation that lasted less than 5 minutes. Yagoo was tagged with the transmitter in November 2005 at the start of the flatback nesting season at Barrow Island. We hope to track her movements during internesting as well as on her migration back to her foraging ground.