Tracking JP

JP’S TRACKING STATISTICS

Release Date: 2-20-2013
Transmitter Type: Wildlife Computers SPLASH10-BF-297B
Data Collected: Location (GPS) and Water Temperature
Expected Lifespan of Tag: 4 months depending on battery life

Distance From Juno Beach: 20 Kilometers (12.4 miles)
Current Water Temperature: 25° C (77° F)
Nearest City: Jupiter Island, FL
Recent Coordinates: 27.05807N, 80.1216W

 

Click map above to download a PDF.

Final Update 5/2/2013
JP’s final satellite transmission was received on May 2, 2013. The turtle was located just north of the Juno Beach Pier.

4/28/2013
JP remains in a lagoon near the Bridge Road bridge to Jupiter Island. His behavior has not changed much and he continues to surface normally. Below is a satellite image of his current location.

4/9/2013
JP is still swimming in the intracoastal waterway along Jupiter Island. He has found a small lagoon near the Bridge Rd. bridge to Jupiter Island that he has been in for several days. We have been able to drive to that location and listen to JP’s VHF transmitter and he appears to be surfacing and behaving like a normal loggerhead turtle.

3/26/2013
JP continues to spend his time in the intracoastal waterway and the Loxahatchee River. After several days in the river, JP left the Jupiter Inlet for a few days and remained in open water just off the northern portion of Jupiter. During his stay near the inlet, JP was actually spotted by boaters while surfacing. That was the second time that JP was spotted. He was also seen off Singer Island shortly after his release. Around March 24th, JP passed back into the Jupiter Inlet and headed north up the intracoastal waterway. His current path has him swimming north near Jupiter Island.

3/13/2013
JP is still in the Loxahatchee River near Loxahatchee River Rd. and Center St. He has spent time in each of the major forks of the river. On Wednesday, March 13th, LMC biologists traveled around to different access points near this intersection and used both ARGOS and VHF receivers to try to pinpoint JP’s exact location. During a one a half hour period, they were able to hear JP surface on four occasions and determined that he was just east of Pennock Point in Jupiter. The ARGOS receiver is able to detect the signal transmitted from JP’s satellite tag to the orbiting satellites. The receiver does not decode the data but does allow them to get an idea of his location. The VHF tag also helps pinpoint JP’s location by sending out a pulse that is detected by the receiver. This pulse changes in volume as the receiver is pointed towards and away from JP. By swinging this receiver back and forth and listening to the change in the pulse, we can narrow down JP’s location. JP appears to be behaving normally. His surfaces were timed like those of a healthy, active loggerhead turtle. For more information about the Loxahatchee River where JP is currently located, please see the following website:www.loxahatcheeriver.org/about_the_river.php

3/3/2013
Since JP’s release, he has remained in Palm Beach County. Immediately after his release, JP traveled north into the Jupiter inlet. After two days, he moved back offshore and traveled south. He once again entered an inlet, this time it was the Lake Worth inlet. JP spent just a few hours in that inlet and then once again headed north. He moved back into the Jupiter Inlet and has remained there since. He is currently in the Loxahatchee River. While we are unsure if this is “normal” loggerhead behavior, there have been several reported sightings of loggerheads in this area before. We will continue to monitor JP’s location as he travels throughout the river system.

2/20/2013
JP was released from Juno Beach on February 20th after spending five months in our hospital. JP was found at the Juno Beach pier and upon arrival, it was discovered the he had four fishing hooks that needed to be surgically removed. We decided to place a transmitter on JP to investigate his behavior after his release. We were curious if he would return to the same pier where he originally stranded.