Bob has been a busy boy, swimming over 2000km from Durban to the Cape where he is now enjoying cooler waters and an abundance of food.
South Africa (13 March 2023) – Bob the Green Turtle has been in the ocean for forty-one days so far. The Two Oceans Aquarium set up a newsletter system to keep fans and followers updated on his progress.
Bob has officially been back in the wild for over forty days now and has already managed to swim 2 000km. He is currently about 85km offshore of Hermanus.
The well-loved Green Turtle has been fitted with four tags which each have a purpose in his tracking. These help with the studies the team are doing. These studies help them and changemakers, fight to protect the areas that turtles use for breeding and feeding grounds.
Talitha Noble monitors Bob’s travels and is responsible for detailing his journey. The latest update, which can be seen here, comes as number seven since his journey started.
“Over these 41 days, Bob has travelled on average 54km per day – our fit boy is doing an ultra-marathon per day.”
“In the last seven days, Bob has continued to move along the continental edge, staying on the outer edge of the Agulhas Bank and moving in a northerly direction – towards the Cape Peninsula!
Bob is moving in the same direction as the current, which is moving at about 1.5km per hour. However, he is sticking to a slower-moving part, possibly to stay within the boundary of the continental shelf. Currently, he is swimming over waters about 200 meters deep and about 22 degrees.
The edge of the continental shelf, where the shallower waters allow sunlight to reach marine life, is abundant in nutrients and fish species. Perhaps Bob is enjoying the delicious algae and saying hello to all the fish along the shelf!
Most lately, Bob is only 85km offshore from Hermanus, where our turtle team is based for the Turtle Rescue Roadtrip!”
If he continues of this route, he will likely cross paths with Pan and Turbo, two fellow rescued turtles that are currently being monitored along the West Coast.
We love seeing Bob’s new adventure and can’t wait to hear where he ends up next. Stay tuned!
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