Today@Dal

Submitted by Marlon Lewis:

On October 15, ten enormous female leatherback turtles, an endangered species, were released off the coast of Nova Scotia by the Canadian Sea Turtle Network and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Each has been instrumented with a satellite tag so the progress to the nesting grounds in the Caribbean can be tracked as they make a most amazing journey.

Dalhousie Oceanography Department has sponsored one of these (the largest!), and have named him Riley after one of the founders of the department.

I am pleased to report that Riley has taken a most decidedly contrarian path to the nesting grounds (see part of the path above). All other turtles are headed east by south-east and are south of the tail of the Grand Banks apparently heading for the mid-Atlantic ridge Riley, on the other had, has taken advantage of the Oceanography Department's keen knowledge of ocean currents and is heading along a more coastal route. My money is on Riley to hit the beaches first.

Have a look, "like" her, become a "fan", and share with others: http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/action/awareness/great-canadian-turtle-race/the-turtles/turtle-d.html

The full map with all turtles is here: http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/action/awareness/great-canadian-turtle-race/the-race/

A good contact for more information is Sean Brilliant with the Canadian Wildlife Federation who has an office in our department:

Sean Brillant Ph.D.
Manager, Marine Programs
Canadian Wildlife Federation | Fédération canadienne de la faune
Dalhousie University - Department of Oceanography
Tel (902) 237-9692