Location and movements of Cristina, tagged in Panama

Deployment location
Playa Chiriqui, Panama

Deployment coordinates
N09°00   W081°42

Deployment date
18 Jun 2005

Current location
Stopped transmitting signals when passing south of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. 

Team in charge of deployment & tracking

• WWF
• CCC
  

Carapace length 152cm

Flipper/pit tag number
RR tag: CH1687 (Chiriqui 2005)
LR tag: V4202 (probably Chiriqui 2003)

This turtle's sponsor/s

• WWF
• Nokia

::: Remarks :::
Cristina is an adult female leatherback seaturtle. She was encountered nesting on June 18, 2005, in Zone 3 on Chiriqui Beach in Panama. She measured 152 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, the same as leatherback female "Idun".

Cristina had already been flipper tagged with metal flipper tags at Chiriqui Beach during the 2003 nesting season, and had also been seen on Chiriqui Beach earlier during the 2005 season. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished laying 70 normal eggs and 8 yolkless eggs.

Since its release Cristina has traveled over 1,527 km and dove over 625 m. The bad news is that, since the last transmition on 07/19/05, we have not received new information on its location. Based on the last data received, researchers believe that Cristina is most likely still alive, but its transmitter has failed for some reason. Possible reasons include just general failure, something (such as algae or barnacles) growing over the salt water switches causing the transmitter to register as being underwater even when the unit is above the water, or the harness coming off earlier than anticipated.

 

19 Jul 2005
Cristina: map locator 4
Map showing the location of the leatherback on this date and her path to this position. » Read more

14 Jul 2005
Cristina: map locator 3
Map showing the location of the leatherback on this date and her path to this position. » Read more

11 Jul 2005
Cristina: map locator 2
Map showing the location of the leatherback on this date and her path to this position. » Read more

03 Jul 2005
Cristina: map locator 1
Maps showing the location of Cristina on this date and her path to this position. » Read more