Chance Sighting Gets Fiji its First Satellite Tagged Turtle

After unsuccessful attempts over the last 2 years, this was the final one during this nesting season to locate and satellite tag a hawksbill nester, a first for Fiji. One of the major challenges has been the lack of funds to reach isolated islands which are now thought to support what remains of a once thriving Fiji turtle nesting population. Additionally, unlike that of the Solomon Islands, PNG and Indonesia, there is no one large known nesting beach in Fiji.
While nesting sites have been recorded on various islands throughout the Fijian Archipelago, nesting incidences in recent years have been minimal. Records of turtles nesting on Makogai Island for a period of 20 years show that in 1987 there were 21 nests while only 5 nests were recorded in 2007 (Department of Fisheries, Fiji, 2007).
Then in January, a National Trust and WWF team struck it lucky. On their way to await turtles and carry out research work, they spotted a nesting hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)on a secluded beach locally known as Talice, North east of Yadua Taba Island...