Shehyn, our tracked leatherback, has made the turn south and is headed back our way. Leatherbacks that nest along our survey beaches typically follow the same pattern. We know this from years of looking at satellite data. They use the Florida Current to swim north. Once they reach the Cape Canaveral area, the either keep going because they’re done nesting for the season, or they turn and start heading south toward their nesting beach. Remember, leatherbacks can lay as many as 9 nests in the season so they make this trip often. Shehyn made the turn today, just over 3 days after we attached her transmitter. She has traveled over 150 km and is currently about 100 km away from where she nested. We’re excited that she’s heading back our way and that she’ll be bringing her transmitter and all of its valuable data with her! Check out her travels so far:
