Migration, distribution, and diving behavior of adult male loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) following dispersal from a major breeding aggregation in the Western North Atlantic

Sixteen satellite-tagged adult male loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) dispersed widely from an aggregation near Port Canaveral, Florida, USA (28 degrees 23'N, -80 degrees 32'W) after breeding. Northbound males migrated further (990 +/- 303 km) than southbound males (577 +/- 168 km) and transited more rapidly (median initial dive duration = 6 (IQR = 4-16) versus 19 (IQR = 10-31) min, respectively).. Migration occurred along a depth corridor (20-40 m) except where constricted by a narrow continental shelf width. Males foraged in areas 27 +/- 41 km 2 day(-1) at locations <1-80 km from shore for 100.1 +/- 60.6 days, with variability in foraging patterns not explained by turtle size or geography. Post-breeding dispersal patterns were similar to patterns reported for adult female loggerhead sea turtles in this region and adult male loggerhead sea turtles elsewhere in the northern hemisphere; however, foraging ground distributions were most similar to adult female loggerhead sea turtles in this region.