How ever do sea turtles find their way around the
world's vast oceans?
One of my students suggested we look at the LOGGERHEAD TURTLE or Caretta caretta, one of 7 species of sea turtles, found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans plus the Mediterranean Sea. In this part of the world they use nesting grounds around the northern coast of Australia, including Mon Repos Beach near Bundaberg, Queensland.
One of my students suggested we look at the LOGGERHEAD TURTLE or Caretta caretta, one of 7 species of sea turtles, found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans plus the Mediterranean Sea. In this part of the world they use nesting grounds around the northern coast of Australia, including Mon Repos Beach near Bundaberg, Queensland.
She has hatched out at night, climbed up through the sand above her, and is now finding her way unaided to the ocean where she will spend virtually the rest of her life.
How far
will she travel? DNA testing indicates
that juveniles test the boundaries (of course!) and could reach the coasts of
Chile and Peru, 13,000 kilometres away!
Whichever feeding ground
she settles in, she will return during the summer months some 30 years later,
to this very same beach to lay her own eggs, while her brothers will stay at
sea for the rest of their lives.
Does her body contain magnetite to sense the Earth's magnetic field?
Even if it did - what a miracle! Switch off
the GPS satellites and she'd still find the home beach, without even mum to
show her the way.
Thanks go to student Sam Duck, Beechwood, NSW,
Australia
Other acknowledgements: wikipedia.com
environment.gov.au conserveturtles.org
M. Boyle, School of Marine & Tropical Ecology, JCU, Queensland
Photo credits: baldheadisland.com
bioexpedition.com
It's well known that the loggerhead turtles on Mon Repos Beach have returned after about 30 years to where they first hatched. Sam comes from a class of 11 year olds who, even if they aren't sure about God, know this is a miracle.
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