Milton

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Sea Turtle Tracking

A project of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Sea Turtle Research.

click map for full-size version Milton's tracks

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Species: Loggerhead
Life Stage: Juvenile
Gender: Male
Release Date: 2008-11-06 14:00:00
Release Location: Indian River Lagoon
Last Location: 2009-01-23 22:24:49

Adoptive Parents:
Diana Petschauer
Emily Flexser
Mason
Dylan Artime
Griffin Plumb
Trevor Holser
Kathleen Griffin
Miss G's 2nd Graders
Nancy Armstrong
Logan Martin
Elisa Prebble
Gary McKnight
Matt Clemens
Barry Richter

Background

Milton's nest was laid in front of a large beachfront condominium in Boca Raton, FL on May 19, 2002. Milton was among 102 other turtles (of 118) that hatched from his nest on July 14, 2002. Since the day he hatched, Milton has called Gumbo Limbo home, first at the FAU marine lab as part of a gender ratio study. At three months of age, he moved just 50 feet away from the lab to spend quality time with Nature Center visitors and Dr. Kirt Rusenko, the marine conservationist at the Nature Center. Milton's 6-plus year stay at Gumbo Limbo has been eventful and educating. Good luck Milton!

**UPDATE: Well, it looks like Milton's tag has cease transmitting. It is unfortunate that the tag would stop sending signals after only a few months, but it is not unheard-of. Many things can contribute to a tag's failure including biofouling (e.g. excessive growth of barnacles, algae or other organisms on the tag's critical components); antenna damage, battery problems, predation, human interaction, etc.. In Milton's case, his signal degraded steadily over time and Milton spent a considerable amount of time at the sea surface, so we suspect that biofouling may have contributed to the loss of his signal. Best wishes to Milton on his journey!