Last month, a chapter for the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre ended when a green turtle named Bob’s satellite tag stopped transmitting. Bob’s satellite tag must have fallen off her shell while swimming; however, her ocean odyssey is far from over.
Talitha Noble, the conservation manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre, shared her experiences and insights regarding the journey of Bob, a green turtle, after its release into the ocean.
Also read: Breaking news: Two Oceans Aquarium reveals Bob the turtle is a girl!
Noble recalls the initial moments of releasing Bob into the warm waters of KwaZulu-Natal:
‘I remember it so clearly: those first moments of Bob being released into the warm ocean in KwaZulu Natal. As the thrill and adrenaline of her long-awaited release started to wear off, I began to feel some maternal concern about whether she would be okay.’
Noble’s concerns soon gave way to admiration as she observed Bob’s remarkable journey along the South African coastline.
Bob demonstrated an impressive ability to navigate, staying inside the continental shelf and frequenting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The turtle’s adventure included encounters with hammerhead sharks in Aliwal Shoal, witnessing the beginning of the sardine run in the Eastern Cape and observing whales in Hermanus.
All these events occurred within the first six weeks of Bob’s oceanic journey.
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Subsequently, Bob embarked on a seven-month voyage in the South Atlantic Ocean’s surface currents. These currents aided her travel, reducing the effort needed to swim and allowing her to conserve energy efficiently. Bob moved north along the continental shelf during the final month of the tracking, most likely in search of jellyfish close to Namaqua National Park.
On 3 October at 7:07am, the satellite tag on Bob ceased transmitting, with its last known location being 300 kilometres west off the coast of Hondeklipbaai.
‘We had the great privilege of tracking Bob for 249 days (about eight months), 12 656 kilometres and through over half of South Africa’s 42 MPAs,’ noted Noble.
Noble explained that green turtles, like Bob, are difficult to tag due to their softer shells and oil secretion, suggesting that the tag might have fallen off. In contrast, other turtle species, such as Yoshi the loggerhead turtle, have been tracked over much greater distances.
While the tracking phase of Bob’s journey has ended, her story continues.
Also read: Footage of Bob’s shuffle back into the big blue and a tracking update
It was discovered in May that Bob is female, which means she will likely return to her birth beach to lay eggs. Genetic samples taken before her release will help identify her origin.
Besides satellite tagging, Bob was also equipped with acoustic and flipper tags. While the acoustic tag may face similar retention issues, the flipper tags (labelled ZA0497) are expected to remain for years, aiding future tracking and identification efforts.
Noble expressed optimism about receiving future updates on Bob, anticipating that fellow turtle conservationists might contact them upon encountering Bob, especially when she returns to nest.

Noble concluded, ‘I do not doubt that we are going to get a phone call in some years’ time from turtle colleagues on a pristine tropical beach, calling us to say that a beautiful turtle with a flipper tag ZA0497 has come to nest. And you’d better believe that we will be on our way to go say hi to Bob (and probably re-tag her) faster than you can say, “Turtle tracking is the coolest!”‘
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Also read:
Bob released into the wild after 8 year recovery at Two Oceans Aquarium
Picture: Two Oceans Aquarium / Photograph by Linda Ness Photography