Named Sea Turtles and Their Patrons
Meet the leatherback turtles named through Oceanic Society's name a sea turtle program and the generous patrons who sponsored each naming.
Name: Fifi
Patron: Sal Bonizio
PIT Tag ID: 127725574A
First Tagged: May 1, 2006
Most Recent Sighting: April 4, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 7
Turtle 127725574A, known as Fifi, wins the “Most Reliable Mom” award. Fifi has been spotted laying eggs in Matura during seven different nesting seasons since she was tagged in 2006. Most impressively, she made the thousand-mile journey to Matura Beach from Nova Scotia and back every two years between 2010 and 2018. Furthermore, at 169 cm long and 123 cm wide, Fifi is the largest turtle up for naming, proving she excels not only in motherhood but in all aspects of her life. We admire 127725574A’s stamina and dedication.
Name: Cindy
Patron: Cindy Wright
PIT Tag ID: 4A1A62470D
First Tagged: May 13, 2008
Most Recent Sighting: March 10, 2024
Number of Years with Records: 3
Leatherback turtle 4A1A62470D, known as Cindy, is a successful mother turtle who, since she was first tagged in 2008, has returned at least three times to lay clutches of eggs on her home beach in Matura, Trinidad. In that time, Cindy has eaten enough jellyfish to grow three inches longer, now measuring an impressive 166 cm (about 5 feet 5 inches). We hope to see Cindy again soon!
Name: Azamat
Patron: The Azamat Circuit
PIT Tag ID: AVID*032*101*008
First Tagged: May 31, 2002
Most Recent Sighting: March 18, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 5
The leatherback turtle known as Azamat has a unique tag ID (AVID*032*101*008) that shows her age. These tags were discontinued, so anyone who sees Azamat's code will know she’s been around for a while. In fact, Azamat’s tags are some of the oldest we have on file, and she has been seen nesting in five different years since she was first tagged in 2002! With regular journeys between Canada and Trinidad (up to 6,000 miles roundtrip), she's covered a lot of ocean in that time.
Name: Kirbo
Patron: Jett Ogden
PIT Tag ID: 470D59136F
First Tagged: March 28, 2007
Most Recent Sighting: March 12, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 3
The team at Nature Seekers tagged turtle Kirbo in 2007 when she was a small gal, only 152 cm (4ft 12in) long. Since then, Kirbo has made the incredible journey between her foraging grounds off the coast of Nova Scotia to her nesting beach in Matura, Trinidad, and back at least two more times. We look forward to keeping an eye out for Kirbo in future nesting seasons!
Name: Gregory
Patron: Staff at WCAC in honor of Gregory Frank
PIT Tag ID: 4A5F55522F
First Tagged: June 6, 2011
Most Recent Sighting: March 25, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 2
While Gregory has sported her tag for only 14 years, she has accomplished much to be proud of in that time. She has traveled thousands of miles between her foraging grounds and Matura Beach and back at least twice and grown 7 cm in length. Gregory has many years of egg-laying ahead of her, and we will be keeping an eye out for her during future nesting seasons.
Name: Bella
Patron: Stacy Fernandez
PIT Tag ID: 4A15515956
First Tagged: May 1, 2009
Most Recent Sighting: March 11, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 3
Leatherback 4A15515956, known as Bella, was spotted for the first time in 2009 as a small, possibly new mother, measuring only 141 cm long (about 4ft 7in). In the ensuing 15 years, the Nature Seekers team has seen her during two more nesting seasons and watched her blossom into the mature turtle she is today. In March 2024, she had grown to measure a respectable 150 cm (4ft 11in), and her girth had grown by 10 cm (4 in)! For that, Bella holds the title of “biggest growth spurt”!
Name: Pistachio Jr.
Patron: Dawn Gasior
PIT Tag ID: 4B114E7A3A
First Tagged: May 15, 2010
Most Recent Sighting: March 17, 2024
Number of Years Seen Nesting: 3
4B114E7A3A, aka Pistachio Jr., is an unforgettable leatherback turtle who, at 160 cm long, was already large when she was first tagged in 2010. She has blown that number out of the water in the past 14 years, though, and is now a whopping 168 cm long! Pistachio Jr. has completed the long migrations between her foraging grounds in Nova Scotia to Matura, Trinidad at least three times since she was first identified.
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