MEDIA RELEASE
3 June, 2026
Meet Amber: The First Loggerhead Turtle of the 2026 Sea Turtle Tracking Programme
When a nesting loggerhead turtle emerged onto a Grand Cayman beach on the night of 1 June, Department of Environment researchers carefully fitted her with both a satellite transmitter and an acoustic tag. Named Amber, she is the first turtle to be tracked as part of the Department’s new 2026 sea turtle tracking programme and the first turtle sponsored through Lagerhead, Caybrew’s new amber lager, dedicated to turtle conservation.
Over the coming weeks, Amber is expected to lay several more nests. During this time, researchers will use her acoustic tag to learn how female loggerheads move around Cayman waters between nesting events, which habitats they use, and how long they spend in different areas during the nesting season.
But the bigger mystery begins once the nesting season is over.
Like all of Cayman’s nesting turtles, Amber was born here and has returned decades later to lay her eggs on local beaches. Yet nesting represents only a small part of a sea turtle’s life. Once Amber leaves Cayman waters, her satellite transmitter will continue sending locations to researchers, allowing them to follow her journey across the Caribbean.
Where will she go? Which migration route will she follow? Where are the feeding grounds that sustain her between nesting seasons?
Amber’s movements may help answer those questions.
By combining two tracking technologies, researchers can build a more complete picture of her life. The acoustic tag reveals fine-scale movements within Cayman waters whenever Amber passes near underwater listening stations, while the satellite transmitter allows scientists to follow her long-distance migrations after she leaves the Islands.
Amber’s transmitter was funded through Lagerhead, Caybrew’s amber lager launched earlier this year in support of sea turtle conservation. Caybrew donates CI$0.05 from every can sold and CI$1.20 from every case sold, with additional funds raised through Lagerhead launch events hosted by Sunset House, Nova and Cayman Turtle Centre. Together, these contributions made Amber’s satellite tracking possible.
The deployment is part of a new sea turtle tracking programme launched by the Department of Environment in 2026. The project combines acoustic and satellite telemetry to better understand turtle movements within Cayman waters and across the wider Caribbean. Acoustic tracking is supported by the UK Government through Darwin Plus funding, while satellite transmitters are funded through sponsorships from local businesses and community partners.
Amber is the first turtle to be tagged this season, with additional turtles expected to follow through the summer with support from other community sponsors. Follow Amber’s journey online at www.doe.ky/turtletracker where regular updates will reveal where she travels and help answer one of Cayman conservation’s most fascinating questions:
Where does a Cayman turtle go when she leaves home?