Archive Content

Please note: This page has been archived and its content may no longer be up-to-date. This version of the page will remain live for reference purposes as we work to update the content across our website.

Turtle Name: Fermina
Deployment location
Playa Chiriqui
, Panama

Deployment coordinates
N09°00   W081°42

Deployment date
18 Jun 2005

Current location
Stopped transmitting signals when going through a second hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

Team in charge of deployment & tracking

Carapace length

136cm

Flipper/pit tag number
RR tag: CH2039 (Chiriqui 2005)
LR tag: CH2038 (Chiriqui 2005)

Turtle's sponsor/s
::: Remarks :::
Unsuli Fermina is an adult female leatherback sea turtle and was encountered nesting on June 18, 2005, in Zone 3 on Chiriqui Beach in Panama. She measured 163 cm in curved carapace (shell) length, larger than the average leatherback female seen on Chiriqui Beach.

She had already been flipper tagged with metal flipper tags at Chiriqui Beach earlier during the 2005 nesting season. A harness with a satellite transmitter was applied after she finished laying 72 normal eggs and 44 yolkless eggs. Unsuli Fermina was named by a team of beach monitors working with CCC in Rio Cana.

Since its release Ünsuli Fermina has traveled over 3032 km. Unfortunately, since the last transmition on 09/21/05, we have not received new information on its location. Based on the last data received, researchers believe that Fermina 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.
The leatherback turtle named Fermina. Click to view an enlarged picture 
© WWF / Carlos Drews
The leatherback turtle named Fermina. Click to view an enlarged picture
© WWF / Carlos Drews
Map locator for this leatherback. Click to view an enlarged animated version. The latest positional ... 
© WWF / CCC
Map locator for this leatherback. Click to view an enlarged animated version. The latest positional maps are available below
© WWF / CCC