Date: 03/24/2014

Number: 1

My job is working on a vessel doing marine mammal and bird counts in the Gulf of Mexico. I saw three monarch butterflies, one yesterday around 15:43 (3/24) and two last week. Both were in the general vicinity of the ship's stern. All three were pumpkin orange color and flitted about for only a few seconds before leaving the ship. I'm offshore right now at 26.44 N, -90.92W.

The ship was traveling 2.6-4.4knots and the seas were up to B4 (up to 16kn--not as breezy as I'd remembered). The winds had been traveling from the North all day. There is no way to know which direction they were headed bc the vessel was moving and the monarch was zigzagging everywhere around the vessel before going off stern (Our ship was facing SE so NW direction is a good bet).

I am sure they were monarchs but I feel as though I've learned so much about them in the last week I can't be 100% certain. I spoke with my biologist workmate and he agreed with me it definitely wasn't a painted lady!

Just finished an Indiegogo (crowd-funding) campaign called "Bee-Leav'n'Roots" Raised money to enhance pollinator habitat, become a Monarch Waystation, have three unmedicated beehives and keep the land pesticide free and non-GMO. Found your info on GMOfree USA site.

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Latitude: 26.4 Longitude: -90.9

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