Olive Ridley turtle tracking - Turtle bios
Milika
Milika
Milika was the first turtle to be fitted with a transmitter, and was named by the Milikapiti School at Snake Bay (Milikapiti) on Melville Island.
The students decided upon the name Milika because in Tiwi language it means "the sea around our islands".
Milika nested on Cape Van Diemen on Melville Island at the top of Aspley Strait. She is the largest of the five turtles we are tracking at 75.2 cm in shell length, and the heaviest at 43 kg.
Snake Bay has a population of approximately 400 people and is located on the northern coast of Melville Island.
Find out where Milika traveled.
Kitirayuwu
Kitirayuwu
Kitirayuwu (Ki-ti-ra-yuwu) was named by the students of the Murrupurtiyanwu Catholic School (MCS) at the township of Nguiu on Bathurst Island (Tiwi Islands).
The name is Tiwi and means "female egg-laying turtle". To Tiwi people and children, naming any person, animal or object is an important cultural process.
MCS is a bilingual school and the Tiwi language is very important. The name derives from two parts - "Kitirika" which means "female turtle" (egg laying) and "rayuwu" which emphasises female.
A satellite transmitter was attached to Kitirayuwu on 20 April 2004 when she nested on Cape Van Diemen on Melville Island at the top of Aspley Strait. She is 71.1 cm in shell length and weighs 38 kg.
The township of Nguiu is the largest of the four townships on the Tiwi Islands with nearly 1500 people.
Find out where Kitirayuwu traveled.
Milly
Milly
Milly was named by the students of the Pularumpi School at Garden Point on Melville Island.
Under the guidance of Marine Ranger Jack Long, the students and teachers are also helping out with the project by conducting weekly counts of the tracks of nesting turtles on a remote beach.
Milly's transmitter was attached on 19 April when she nested on Cape Van Dieman on Melville Island at the top of Aspley Strait. Milly has a shell length of 72.4 cm and weighs 38 kg.
Pularumpi (Garden Point) has about 330 residents and is the community that is closest to the olive ridley nesting beach.
Find out where Milly traveled.
Jika
Jika
Jika was named by the students of Xavier Community Education Centre (XCEC) - a secondary school in the township of Nguiu on Bathurst Island, Tiwi Islands.
Jika is short for Jikapurani, which in Tiwi language means "good looking". The students of XCEC are excited about being involved in this project, and are eager to learn more about the biology of olive ridley turtles.
Jika was fitted with a satellite transmitter after she nested on Cape Van Diemen on 21 April. She is the smallest of the five turtles measuring only 66.4 cm in shell length and weighing only 29 kg.
Mel
Mel
Our tracking team recorded several healed injuries on Mel, most likely caused by natural predators.
One of Mel's injuries consists of a large chunk missing from the right hind section of her shell, which is indicative of shark damage. Other injuries include healed scratches across her shell and healed puncture wounds on her neck, which is indicative of a crocodile attack.
Mel has a shell length of 70.8 cm and weighs 36 kg.
