Tracking to offer insight into mysterious males

Edisto has the look. He's 300 pounds of pure, beady-eyed aggression. And he took to the Atlantic Ocean again Saturday.

The biggest loggerhead ever to be released by the South Carolina Aquarium, and the first adult male, took the plunge at Folly Beach County Park after four months of rehabilitation in the aquarium's sea turtle hospital.

Edisto was the first adult male sent back to the ocean off South Carolina with a satellite tracking device on his back, to give scientists a little more information about the turtles' little-known movements. His release, though, came with a twinge of regret for the aquarium staff and a legion of fans he won up and down the coast.

Edisto made his presence known.

"He almost looks evil, his eye has so much personality," said Kelly Thorvalson, aquarium sea turtle rescue program coordinator prior to the release. "He doesn't stop swimming; I've never seen this animal rest. If you walk up to the (turtle tank) window he immediately comes to the window with his mouth open. He has a ferocious look and a huge mouth. He's just a big animal."

Edisto was found in May tangled up in a crab trap rope with a buoy wrapped around his left flipper, cut to the bone with the flipper tip missing.

Rescued by Edisto Beach Fire Department, he has been treated at the South Carolina Aquarium's turtle hospital.

The loggerhead turtle is a ponderous treasure of the Lowcountry. Females crawl out of the sea each summer to make nests in the dunes. Although slightly more than 1,500 nests were reported in the state this year, the turtles' numbers overall appear to be dropping. It is one of seven sea turtle species and all are threatened or endangered.

The satellite tracking is important for researchers, who know far less about the number of adult males out there than they do about the nesting females. The mysterious males spend their lives at sea.

"We never see them," said David Owens, College of Charleston biology professor. In 30 years studying turtles, he's rarely had the chance to work hands-on with adult males before Edisto and Cape Romain, who's also in rehab at the aquarium.

Researchers are concerned for the fate of males because of climate warming; females tend to give birth to more females when temperatures are higher, Owens said.

"We hope to find out where Edisto and Cape Romain over-winter and whether they come back to South Carolina waters to mate next spring," Thorvalson said.

Edisto was released by a few of the firefighters and turtle watch volunteers who rescued him. He will be the third loggerhead that people will be able to track on the aquarium's Web site: www.scaquarium.org.

The tracking is a partnership with S.C. Natural Resources. On Wednesday, a DNR biologist will talk about the findings from the agency's loggerhead turtle tagging program. The program is free to the public, at 6:30 p.m. at the Marine Resources division at 217 Fort Johnson Road, James Island. Pre-registration is required. Contact 953-9354 or CountsK@dnr.sc.gov.

Reach Bo Petersen at 745-5852 or bpetersen@postandcourier.com.