California

Collaborative research helps save cold-stunned sea turtles on the Pacific Coast

Collaborative research helps save cold-stunned sea turtles on the Pacific Coast

With partner organizations, Upwell’s Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Heather Harris recently led a necropsy session at the Marine Mammal Center to learn more about the underlying health issue of cold stunned sea turtles stranded on the Pacific Coast.

Bon Voyage, Bumpy!

Bon Voyage, Bumpy!

In October of 2021, Upwell and our partners from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tagged one of the largest leatherbacks ever encountered in the California Current foraging zone weighing in at 1,419 pounds! This massive male leatherback was dubbed “Bumpy” because of the distinctive bumps on the rear of his carapace, which were likely caused by a prior ship strike. Find out more about where Bumpy has traveled.

Welcoming back California's leatherbacks

Welcoming back California's leatherbacks

Learn about the female turtle tagged by NOAA and Upwell in 2020 whose transmitter is still reporting. She was tagged in September 2019, and she returned to same area where she was tagged in the Gulf of the Farallones this year on 31 July 2020. It’s exciting when we see one of these movement records close the loop! Additional leatherback sightings in the Monterey Bay have been reported recently.

Studying Turtles at Sea Offers Deeper Insights

Studying Turtles at Sea Offers Deeper Insights

Data collected at nesting beaches give us only a brief glimpse into sea turtles’ intricate life histories. Satellite tags are one of the best tools available to collect data on sea turtle movements and behaviors in marine habitats. But where tags are deployed matters. Deploying tags at nesting beaches means we are limiting our research scope to the females within a population that are nesting in a given year.

Discovering the Origins of Leatherbacks in the California Current

Discovering the Origins of Leatherbacks in the California Current

At the turn of the millennium, the origin of leatherback turtles in California waters was unproven. Many assumed they originated from nesting beaches in Mexico or Costa Rica; few could have imagined the extent of their travels across the entire Pacific Ocean. We know now that West Pacific leatherbacks only make their epic trans-Pacific migration about every three to five years. Unfortunately, the batteries on early satellite tags didn’t last long enough to track their whole migration.

Upwell Featured in Carmel Magazine

Upwell Featured in Carmel Magazine

Upwell’s work to protect turtles at sea was featured in the latest edition of Carmel Magazine. Check out the article below to learn more about leatherback sea turtles and what we are doing to protect them.

Leatherback Sea Turtles and Ecosystem Health in the California Current

Leatherback Sea Turtles and Ecosystem Health in the California Current

Evaluating sea turtle health off the coast of Central California can tell us about environmental factors that pose threats not only to sea turtles but to the broader marine community.

Leatherbacks from above

Leatherbacks from above

The leatherbacks have returned to the central California coast! In partnership with NOAA, Upwell is conducting aerial surveys to locate critically endangered leatherback turtles in California's waters. Learn more about graduate student, Sharon Hsu's first-hand experience as an Upwell Observer aboard these flights.