Despite their popularity, there’s still much we don’t understand about the oceanic lives of sea turtles. We know their preferred diets, nesting frequency, and that males rarely emerge onto land, whereas females return to their natal region (i.e. Cape Fear, NC) to nest. To investigate how sea turtles spend their lives beneath the surface, researchers use satellite tags to track their movements. These tags provide a unique glimpse into the long migration of our nesting females, revealing where they migrate and how they utilized their oceanic habitat.
Satellite tags are small devices that are attached to a sea turtle’s carapace to record GPS locations and other data. The tags transmit a signal to ARGOS satellites each time the turtle surfaces and the tag breaches the water, allowing researchers, like the Conservancy’s Sea Turtle Biologist, to map the turtle’s migration and monitor individuals location in almost real time.
— Paul Hillbrand
The Conservancy’s history of tracking turtles began in 2003 with then Island Naturalist and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator, Lucy Hawkes (now Dr. Hawkes), tagged 24 nesting females between 2003-2008 as part of her PhD. research with her advisors Drs. Annette Broderick and Brendan Godley from the University of Exeter. Since then, we have deployed 20 more tags in collaboration with Dr. Kristen Hart from the U.S. Geological Survey, Dr. Simona Ceriani from Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the National Aquarium.
Follow along as six nesting females we tagged in 2025 navigate the East Coast below. The data from tags deployed between 2023-2025 will be used to determine areas of use within the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management’s (BOEM) designated offshore wind energy areas along the U.S. east coast.
KKD887
KKD874
Sloopy
The Lovely Mrs. Bites
UUT611
KKS296
KKD887
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KKD887 at night on July 5, 2025 after being tagged
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The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
KKD874
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Name: Date Tagged: Tag Funded by: 
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Bio: |
The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
Sloopy
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Name: Date Tagged: Tag Funded by:
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Bio: |
The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
The Lovely Mrs. Bites
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Name: Date Tagged: Tag Funded by:
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Bio:
TLMB after being tagged
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The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
UUT611
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Name: Date Tagged: Tag Funded by:
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Bio: 
UUT611 heading out to sea
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The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
KKS296
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Name: Date Tagged: Tag Funded by:
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Bio:
KKS296 after being tagged
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The data presented on this page is provided by the Bald Head Island Conservancy for education and outreach purposes only. These materials do not represent formal publication, and all contributing researchers retain full intellectual property rights to their data. Map, materials, images or data may NOT be used without permission. No maps, images, or data displayed here may be reproduced, distributed, or used for any purpose without prior written consent from the Bald Head Island Conservancy or the original data contributors.
* Indicates a turtle whose tag has not transmitted a signal for at least 72 hours (last updated: 11/16/25)
BHIC’s sea turtle work is a community achievement. Nightly patrols, meticulous tagging, and long hours of data processing are made possible by interns, volunteers, partners, and donors. Generous support from grants and individual donors pays for transmitters, boat time, and data analysis that turn local stewardship into regional conservation outcomes. Help us fund transmitters and analysis.
Satellite tagging uses small transmitters attached to a turtle’s carapace that send location signals to satellites whenever the animal surfaces. Modern tags, such as Wildlife Computers SPOT and SPLASH10 used by BHIC, can also record dive depth and duration so we learn where turtles go and how they use the water column.
Tags are usually attached after a female finishes nesting, on her return crawl to the ocean, or when a rehabilitated animal is healthy and ready for release. Attachment is quick, performed under permit, and follows established animal welfare protocols.
Duration depends on the tag model, battery life, attachment conditions, and how often the turtle surfaces. Some tags transmit for a few weeks, most for months, and under favorable conditions some have provided records that last longer. BHIC had one tag transmit for two years!
BHIC has been satellite tagging nesting female loggerheads since 2003 Highlights:
- 2003-2008: 24 tags deployed by Drs. Lucy Hawkes, Annette Broderick, and Brendan Godley, University of Exeter.
- 2017: 5 tags deployed supported by Dr. Kristen Hart, United States Geological Survey.
- 2021-2022: 3 tags deployed by BHIC, supporting Dr. Simona Ceriani’s research, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission.
- 2023 to 2025: 12 tags deployed by BHIC (1 in collaboration with the National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD) funded by a Federal Museum Grant and Seaside Furniture Gallery.
BHIC partners with National Aquarium, NCWRC, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, KBSTRRC, and others for funding, deployments, and outreach.
The data collected from satellite tags deployed between 2023 and 2025 will help BHIC identify how and where sea turtles use areas within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) designated offshore wind energy areas along the U.S. East Coast. The tags record location, dive depth, and dive duration, providing insight into sea turtle behavior beneath the surface. In addition, satellite tracking allows BHIC to better understand the migration patterns of nesting turtles that return to Bald Head Island.
Data displayed here are for education and outreach. Contributing researchers retain intellectual property rights, and maps, images, or datasets may not be reproduced or redistributed without prior written consent from BHIC or the original contributors.
