Observations on the loss of tags by Sea Turtles

Abstract

The Trinidad Field Naturalists' Club began their Turtle Tagging Programme in 1970, using monel-metal tags from the U.S. National Band and Tag Company, kindly supplied by the University of Florida at Gainsville. In 1970, and in the previous year, some turtles were seen with small, round holes in the trailing edge of one of their fore flippers. It was assumed that these holes were left after tags had fallen out and that the turtles concerned must have migrated to Trinidad from some other country where tagging had been carried out prior to 1970. The further observation that the edges of these holes had well healed scars confirmed that the tags had been applied before the commencement of the Trinidad programme.