Scientists Discover Where Baby Sea Turtles Go During Their ‘Lost Years’! 🐢🌊
Have you ever wondered where tiny baby sea turtles disappear to after they hatch on the beach? For a long time, scientists didn’t know what happened during these mysterious “lost years” when the baby turtles swim away and don’t return until they’re much bigger. But now, thanks to new research, the mystery is being solved!
Using special GPS trackers, scientists from the University of Central Florida followed young sea turtles as they swam in the Gulf of Mexico. They attached tiny solar-powered tags to the turtles’ shells. These tags sent signals to satellites, letting the scientists know where the turtles were going.
What they found was amazing! 🧐 They discovered that the young turtles aren’t just drifting with the ocean currents as everyone thought. Instead, these little explorers are actually swimming and choosing their own paths! They move between shallow waters near the coast and the open ocean, showing they’re more active and independent than we knew.
The research team tagged 114 young turtles, including different kinds like loggerheads, green sea turtles, hawksbills, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. By comparing the turtles’ movements to floating buoys (objects that just drift with the currents), they saw that while the buoys often washed up on shore, the turtles kept going. This showed that the turtles were swimming on purpose, not just floating along. 🏊♂️
Isn’t it cool that these tiny creatures, not much bigger than your hand, are making their own decisions in the big ocean? 🌊 Knowing where the young turtles go helps scientists understand how to protect them, since many sea turtle species are endangered.
This exciting discovery gives us a better idea of how baby sea turtles survive during their early years. So next time you’re at the beach and see turtle hatchlings making their way to the sea, remember that they have an incredible journey ahead of them, full of adventure and exploration! 🐢❤️
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
