Tracking turtles

In late 2024 a cluster of sick green sea turtles washed up around the Rangaunu Harbour on the east coast of the Far North. It was just another mystery in a long line of all the things we don’t know about these ocean taonga. But a new telemetry study, using these very turtles, could change all that. The study has officially kicked off with the release of five satellite-tagged honu. Liz Garton finds out what secrets the researchers hope to uncover.

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Guests:

• Dr Karen Middlemiss, Department of Conservation
• Dr James Chatterton, Auckland Zoo
• Celine Campana, Auckland Zoo
• Kim Evans, SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s

Learn more:

• Read the article that accompanies this episode: Solving green sea turtle mysteries.
• Find out more about the honu that visit our shores.
• RNZ’s Peter de Graaf describes the release of the first lot of satellite-tagged turtles in Northland.
• Learn more about the international effort to protect leatherback turtles

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details