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Notations concerning
Tortuga Observations 3 to 13 August 2000
AKUMAL BAY, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO

The weather conditions in Akumal this August were poor. It rained or stormed almost every day causing the bay waters to be turbulent and cloudy a majority of the time.

Friday, 4 August 2000
7:45 A. M.
Southwest of the Hotel Caribe volley ball nets approximately ten feet beyond the first field of wide turtle grass (thalassia testudinum). Approximately 4 to 6 feet water depth. Sighted a 20 inch straight carapace green turtle moving leisurely from the east to the southwest. No distinguishing marks of any kind on the scutes. The turtle kept up an even pace, surfaced three times during the observation and moved off in a slight curve after each air intake. This turtle was going somewhere, for it did not feed or deviate in speed or from its general direction. The curved movement pattern which this turtle exhibited had been observed many times before.

8:05 A. M.
Beyond the buoys for the Akumal Dive Shop boats.
In approximately 12 feet of water.
Sighted a turtle moving south to southwest with quick spurts of movements and then a slow calm air intake. Then a very fast dive to bay floor level to nibble at selected blades of wide grass. Once the turtle had the selected blade of grass firmly within it's mouth it rapidly moved in a large curve toward the south. This behavior and movement pattern was repeated over a ten minute period when the turtle moved out of visual range.

12:00 noon
100 yards or more off shore from Ventura hotel's large palappa, near the white markers on the reef.
Plenty of fish activity.
No turtle sightings.

4:00 P.M.
Between the moorings of the two catamarans.
Cloudy water .
Lots of fish activity.
No turtles sighted.

Saturday, 5 August 2000
7:45 A.M.
Off shore from the Wind surfing sign, near the red marker anchor in about 8 feet of water sighted a green turtle with 16 inch straight carapace moving from the east to the south west. This turtle was eating as it traveled taking in wide blades of grass between air intake. Its pace was leisurely, (see Photographs 2000, # 1, #2, #3), and while chewing it moved into a semi grassed area about 20 feet across, where it joined another green turtle grazing. This turtle was smaller, approximately 12 to 14 inches straight carapace, eating on the far side of the semi grassed area where the grass was thicker. These turtles grazed together (see Photographs 2000, #4 & #5.) for a while when the first turtle, in what appeared to be a nervous action, moved off to the northeast to forage for itself. Further southwest in the same field of thick grass was yet another green turtle also grazing. This turtle was considerably larger than the other two, having length, girth and height. (It was located too far from my position to photograph.) It appeared to be 30 or more inches straight carapace and about 18 inches in height. It was viewed from it's right side and had no distinguishing marks.

The observer was positioned between the first sighted turtle and the other two. Approximately 15 feet separated the single grazing turtle and the two grazing turtles. All three exhibited quick, jerky, nervous movements. In particular, the first turtle, who had moved away from the other two, was constantly looking toward the east. Suddenly a kayak appeared from the east and a swimmer dived in an attempt to catch the 16 inch straight carapace turtle to my left. The turtle darted directly toward the bay's deep water channel to the south while the other two rapidly moved west and southwest into deeper water: all quickly disappeared in seconds. This entire observation lasted 15 minutes.

8:15 A.M.
Between the mooring of the two catamarans. Water depth 6 to 10 feet and then deeper.
Observed an 18 to 20 inch straight carapace, tagged, green turtle with a living mark on scute L2 with a chip on outer scute R3. This turtle was moving at a steady graceful pace toward the deep water channel in the center of the bay. (see photo's 2000, #'s 6,7,8.) The animal was tracked for 8 minutes when some tourists in a kayak started shouting "turtle", and splashed the water's surface. Instantly the turtle dived to thick grass, moved in a series of curves (arch like pattern), tripled its pace and disappeared into deep water.

12:00 Noon.
Off shore from the Ventura Club Flag about 100 yards from shore in about 6 feet of water. This was a sandy patch of sea floor with some plants and very few tufts of grass. Attention was drawn to a rather noisy swimmer chasing a 16 inch straight carapace green turtle. (see photo's 2000, #9.) The turtle was rapidly moving from the northeast to the southwest and within minutes it was gone.

12:20 P.M.
Further offshore where the white marker indicating the reef is submerged about 2 feet beneath the surface.
Near the marker's anchor (approx. depth 12 feet) is a large field of turtle grass. Observed a green turtle with a 10 to 12 inch straight carapace grazing. This turtle selected full length blades of wide grass and used the nail on it's front flipper to help push the blade into the mouth. This turtle was in no hurry to leave this grazing pasture but a group of tourists in kayaks started to circle above where he was eating and he quickly moved along the edge of the pasture (see photo's 2000, # 10,) toward deeper water and denser grass in the southwest of the bay.

Sunday, 6 August 2000
Overcast, storm at sea, turbulent and cloudy bay water.

10: 00 A. M.
Off shore of the Dive Center near the channel to deep water about half way to the reef barrier. Sighted a large green turtle with a living tag on scute L2 more than 30 inches straight carapace, and 18 inches in height. This turtle looked like the one seen on 5 August at 7: 45 A. M. with two other turtles. The turtle had substantial mass and weight and gracefully moved at a rapid pace toward deep water. According to information provided by Alejandro Arenas, from the "Live Tagging Project", turtles with live marks on scute L2 were tagged in 1995 and are five years old.

3:00 P. M.
Water visibility zero near shore and limited near the reef.
Large school of narrow fish about 18" long holding above a coral head. Near by, a medium sized grouper, was poised in the same direction of the school of fish.
No turtles seen.

Monday, 7 August 2000
A storm is headed toward the bay.
7:30 A. M.
Near the raft off shore from the "casitas".
Approximately 14 feet water depth
Sea getting turbulent, a storm is coming to Akumal. Sea floor starting to churn.
Observed a 16 inch straight carapace green turtle with a living tag on scute L2. This turtle, if tagged at Xcaret, should be five years, yet its size is vastly smaller than the other turtles sighted with markings on L2. (See Photographs '00, #6, #7, and #8.)
The turtle was swimming about two feet below the surface coming from the direction of the cannon house and moving toward the southwest.

9:30 A. M. the storm hit! Heavy rain and choppy seas. No snorkeling.

TUESDAY 8 August 2000
Storm in the bay for most of the morning.
Afternoon some clouds and sun.
Bay floor still churned up; difficult to see anything in shallow water.

3:40 P. M. to 4:20 P.M.
Sea still churning but in deep water visibility is at 10 to 20 feet.
No turtles sighted. Large ray sighted in center of bay moving from floor on an angle up toward the deep sea channel. A myriad of fish around the reef opposite the Ventura flag.

WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST 2000
SEVERE STORM ALL DAY

THURSDAY 10 AUGUST 2000
Visit to XCARET to meet Alejandro Arenas of the turtle research project and several members of his team. Received information concerning Marine Turtle Newsletter.

P.M. Bay is extremely turbulent. No turtle sightings.

FRIDAY 11 AUGUST 2000
Bay is still churning but not as cloudy. Winds and some clouds all day. Visibility in deep water is approximately 20'.

11:46 A. M.
125 yards off shore from the north corner of the Hotel Caribe in approximately 10 feet of water. Observed green turtle, straight carapace 18", no living tag. Turtle was swimming in a small tight circle selecting sparse wide blades of turtle grass from a field of thin turtle grass. Eating behavior was typical of other turtles observed. Head movements to the right or left ( this turtle did not favor a side) with occasional use of the nail in the front left or right flipper ( depending on which side the blade of grass was located.) Once again when the water was quiet, no people making nose, no boats roaring by, one could hear the turtle chewing. The turtle surfaced four times during this observation. (see Photograph's '00, # 11.)
Fourteen minutes later at 12:00 Noon three snorkelers arrived and attempted to catch the turtle. In rapid curved movements, (part of an evasive movement pattern previously observed,) in varying degrees, first counter clockwise toward Hotel Ventura and then clockwise toward Cannon House the turtle disappeared into deep water.
No other turtles were sighted, but there were many fish. In evidence were Grunts, ( both Yellow and French), Parrot, Angel, Blue Angel, Sgt. Major, Flounder, Rays, Wrasse, etc. One particularly large ray was gracefully moving from the southwest toward the north into the deep water channel. The water depth was approximately 16 feet and the ray started its moves from 150 feet off shore.

3:15 P. M. to 3:45 P.M.
Bay water turbulent, and murky out to the white reef marker offshore from Ventura Hotel. Swim area: from the Wind Surf sign out to the reef and over to the center of the Ventura large Palappa and back in a cross hatched movement pattern. Close in visibility at mask level.
No turtles seen.
Plenty of fish by the reef. Fish size of 12" - 20" were common. Grunts, Parrots, Angels, Sergeant. Majors, Grouper, fluted pipe, a school of sardine, a mottle gray brown fish with a rounded forehead 14" and at mask level close in to shore, Wrasse, and 1,000 of spawning fish in one foot of water in the thick wide turtle grass.

12 August 2000
A. M. very windy and cloudy, water is churning.
12:00 to 12:32 P.M.
Still windy and cloudy. Water is stirred up for at least 200' out from shore. At 400' the water is semi clear and visibility is at 20'+. Swim area cross hatch pattern from the northeast corner of the Hotel Caribe to the center of the Ventura Palappa and out to the inner edge of the reef.
No turtle observed. Lots of fish activity about the reef and in the turtle grass which dominates the area closer in to shore. Two 18" or larger Grouper like fish sighted.

4:08 to 4:50 P.M..
Water is semi clear all about the reef and cloudy closer into shore. Area covered from the inner edge of the reef off the Ventura Flag to the middle of the Akumal "casitas".
No turtles sighted.
Fish in abundance: fluted pipe fish 16" length in schools, black coral in 14' of water, Angel fish, Sergeant. Major, Wrasse, Grunts, Parrots, striped Bass, and many others. Southwest of the Ventura Palappa near the reef four Cuttlefish were swimming in size order. The larger of the four was perhaps 12" long, the smallest 7". The Cuttlefish observed me and sent waves of lavender color flickering across their bodies. As I watched them and they watched me the colors changed to blue waves in several shades and then white dots appeared over a brown body. The Cuttlefish always moved in a set order in size place and if one of the smaller ones was out of place the others reorganized. When a group of noisy snorkelers arrived, the Cuttlefish's color changed to waves of pink, which became dark red as the noise became closer. Suddenly the group of Cuttlefish, all flashing red, jetted out of sight into the deep.

13 August 2000
Bay calm, some cloudy water very close in to shore.
11:28 A. M.
100 yards off shore from the Hotel Caribe swimming pool.
8 feet water, semi sandy area near wide turtle grass.
Observed a turtle, 16 inches or more straight carapace, no tag or other marks. Color was gray and brown and overall shape was like a "heart." (See Photograph's '00, #12.)
Turtle was grazing, clearing selected blades of grass with front flippers, holding a stalk with flippers and with a sideward head movement bites the blade. Then with the aid of its front nail it moves the blade into its mouth ass it slowly chews and the moves on to the next blade of grass. The turtle was slowly, calmly moving northeast toward the catamaran moorings where it started to select thin grass. These stalks were selected directly from sea floor level with a slight movement to reveal the beginning of the root system. The water was slightly cloudy in this area.
From first sighting until 11:54 the turtle took air four times. Each air intake was quick with a slight curved movement up to the surface and then a slight curved downward move to correct the angle of movement. This turtle seem to be following a predetermined route when it became "spooked" when going up for the fifth air intake at 11:58 A. M. The turtle barely stayed up for air and quickly moved downward clockwise toward deep water, and then quickly counterclockwise toward the Cannon House and then again clockwise, with each fast move the arch varied as the turtle moved into deep water and out of sight in the open sea. Upon snorkeling toward shore, another turtle approximately 14 - 16 inches straight carapace was eating and moving into deep water (see photo's 2000. #13.)

This was the last observation for 2000.

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