Researchers know how important the hours following loggerhead turtle births are to survival, but have been lacking information about what happens during them.
When loggerhead turtles are born, they must escape the predators roaming around on land and in coastal waters by getting to the currents of the open ocean as quickly as they can.
Researchers have long known how important the hours following their births are to long-term survival, but have been lacking a great amount of information about what happens during them.
Recently, they were able to fill in some of the gaps in knowledge.
The team started out on a Cape Verde island beach known to be an egg-laying favorite among loggerheads.
As the babies emerged from their nests, the team began affixing tiny tracking devices to them so they’d be able to follow the group once it took to the water.
In total, they outfitted 11 young loggerheads with the acoustic tags.
The researchers were able to keep tabs on the little turtles and successfully followed them by boat for 9 miles in the ocean to safer waters.
By the time they reached the ocean’s currents an amazing 10 of the 11 had survived the perilous journey, which is far more than typically do.
The research team did admit that they scared off a number of predators while trailing the babies.