JANUARY 2010

We are currently in the middle of our fourth year working on the sea turtle nesting population around the Ada Foah area of Ghana.  We have a very strong research team this year that is composed of two volunteers from the United States (Jessica Pate and Denise Thompson), a student from Florida Gulf Coast University (Derek DeWitt), a student from the University of Ghana (Andy Agyekumhene), and two interns from Ghana (Enoch Armah from Accra and ‘turtle’ Joe from Azazenya fishing village in Ada Foah).  With such a large field crew, and two new ATVs purchased by NOAA and delivered by the US Navy, we are able to survey about 20 km of beach including an area west of Ada Foah that is uninhabited for several kilometers. 

The timing for receiving the ATVs could not have been better because the area is having the busiest nesting season observed in recent years.  The field crew observed an average of 7 turtles per night during the months of November and December, including one night where 21 turtles were observed!  December 15 2009 was special because we observed, and tagged, the first green sea turtle we have seen since starting the project (in 2006).  And then on December 25, only 10 days later, the same green turtle nested less than 100 feet from the nest she laid on the 15^th.  The increased activity has allowed the research team to observe many animals that were previously tagged during this nesting season.  We have now seen several olive ridleys and leatherbacks on the beach three times so far.  Since sea turtles have a nesting frequency of about 2 weeks during their nesting season, we would expect to see these turtles a few more times before the nesting starts slowing down in February.

Another note of interest is that on January 1, 2010 a dead juvenile hawksbill sea turtle washed ashore.  The research team took photos and placed the animal in our freezer so that we can collect tissue samples.  Hawksbills are one of five species of sea turtles that historically nested in Ghana.  Unfortunately there has not been a documented hawksbill nest since the early 1970’s.  This stranded animal gives us hope that the species remains in the area.  There are recent hawksbill sightings from countries around Ghana so it is likely there is at least a small population in the region.

However, this year’s highlight must be the additional work we are doing with regard to studying the migration patterns of the olive ridley turtles that nest in this area.  We received funding from the Walt Disney Conservation Fund to place satellite tags on four olive ridley turtles.  The research team installed all four during the final week s of December 2009 (including one on Christmas night).  You can follow these animals on our project’s website at:

 http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=468

The above website links you to a page for each turtle that includes photographs and an opportunity to adopt one.  I encourage you to adopt a turtle as part of this project so that we can secure funds for additional research during the 2010-2011 nesting season. 

There are now multiple avenues to support our efforts:

Adopting a turtle at the satellite tracking webpage will help support global sea turtle research and conservation efforts and will likely help our team secure funding for additional satellite tags in 2010-2011.

Sending a donation or purchasing a HATCH shirt will support our mission of improving turtle education and ecotourism programs in Ghana.  This money is used to buy the supplies necessary to conduct such programs.  This money also helps us hire a local intern to join the sea turtle survey team.

The final way of supporting sea turtle conservation in Ghana is to visit Ada Foah and arrange for a sea turtle walk that is offered by the Ghana Wildlife Division.  The GWD staff are in constant communication with our research team doing the surveys so that we can maximize the likelihood of seeing a nesting turtle.  Money received from the sea turtle walks are used by GWD to conduct community service programs such as planting trees and conducting workshops on gardening.

We are having a very busy nesting season this year so I suspect many more surprises before the activity decreases.  Please check the website frequently for additional updates regarding our work in Ghana, including a newly developed project in western Ghana that will explore the conservation needs of a rare, and endangered, tortoise that is restricted to the rainforests of western Africa.

MARCH 2009

The 2008-09 nesting season is coming to an end and will be the slowest nesting season thus far.  The fishermen tell us the turtles are not nesting this year due to the late rainy season that has kept the 'sea very strong'.  Rain storms have been reported throughout January and February although these two months are typically very dry.  Nonetheless, we were able to accomplish quite a bit this season.

Ecotourism:  The Ghana Wildlife Division has reported an increase in visitors since launching our program.  To further increase the visibility of the marine                                                       turtle ecotourism programs, HATCH purchased five signs.  A group of students from Western Washington University provided the paint and artistic talent to make the signs attractive.

Research:  On March 3, 2009 the US Navy delivered two ATVs to the University of Ghana.  These ATVs were purchased through a grant from NOAA and shipped via the USS Nashville from Virginia.  These vehicles will allow us to survey a larger segment of beach at a quicker rate beginning with next year's nesting season.  This should increase the number of turtle encounters we have on the beach.