Search For Adelita

 

Near Sendai, Japan

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Project

July 1999


J. Nichols / Researcher

(jnichols@blueoceaninstitute.org)

Tel. (USA) 831.426.0337

 

David M. Barron / Photographer

Tel. (USA) 508.481.3862


J. Nichols, Dana Nichols and David Barron traveled to Japan, visiting Yakushima Island where 1/3 of all Japanese loggerhead sea turtles nest. Complimenting the existing research & story of the 'Loggerhead Transpacific Journey', we documented the nesting loggerhead turtles.

After Yakushima, we headed north east to Sendai looking for the place where Adelita, the first satellite tracked loggerhead turtle from Baja to Japan, came to shore. It was long believed by J. Nichols that Adelita was picked up by a fishing boat (most likely a squid boat) roughly 200 miles off the Japanese coast and brought to port near Sendia. Using a GPS and with the aide of local authorities, we journeyed along the coast until we found the exact position of landfall. After one large fishing port, and one smaller more likely location, we ended up at a third fishing port at Isohama, where we found exactly what J. Nichols had suspected. Roughly 10 Squid boats rested, on this rainy day, at port. This is were Adelita was brought.

The reason for the Japan trip was a result of research by J. Nichols and his colleagues Antonio Resendiz and Jeff Seminoff. They had proven that the newly hatched loggerhead turtles of Japan make their way across the pacific to Baja where they feed until maturity and then return to Japan in a ~ 10 month journey to nest. The journey back to Japan has been documented using satellite tags attached to loggerhead turtles, which has resulted in real time tracking of the loggerhead transpacific journey. The first of these turtles was 'Rosita and Adelita'.

School age children tracked the loggerheads journey using their computers in the classrooms. The course was plotted from the information sent to the satellites from the satellite tags on the turtles back as it made its journey.

Below is map of the plotted points from Baja to Japan of one of the tracked turtles, as well as photographs from the Baja research site.



Map Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Transpacific Journey
 
J. Nichols Using GPS At Train Station
Near Sendai, Japan
501-51-9
J. & Dana Nichols Looking At Map On Train
Near Sendai, Japan
501-51-7


 
J. Nichols Using GPS Walking Towards Coast
Near Sendai, Japan
501-51-10
J. Nichols Using GPS While Eating Lunch
Near Sendai, Japan
501-51-20


J. Nichols Using GPS In Port
2 Miles South of Isohama
501-53-1
J. Nichols, Dana Nichols & David Barron
Self Portrait In Street Mirror
Near Sendai, Japan
501-52-1



J. Nichols & Port Workers Looking At Maps
2 Miles South Of Isohama
501-53-20
J. NIchols & Port Workers Talking About Adelita
Using Web Site & Local School Teacher (by Phone) For Translation
Port of Isohama, Japan
501-54-16



Squid Boats
Port of Isohama, Japan
501-54-5





 

Go To Other Sea Turtle Photographic Page

Go To Other Sea Turtle Photographic Page

Adelita's Track

Other Maps of the Journey From Baja To Japan