Scientists expected these Galápagos sea turtles to wander. They stayed put

Yellow-morph green sea turtles in the Galápagos surprised scientists by staying remarkably close to home instead of making the long journeys typically associated with sea turtles. Satellite tracking showed that none left the marine reserve during the study, revealing just how important the islands’ coastal habitats may be to their survival. Scientists expected these Galápagos sea turtles to wander. They stayed put.

They stayed put Scientists found a surprising population of Galápagos sea turtles that seems to prefer staying close to home rather than roaming the open ocean. They can navigate using cues from Earth’s magnetic field, the sun, and ocean currents, traveling long distances to find food before eventually returning toward the places where they were born to reproduce. That reputation made one population in the Galápagos especially surprising.

Rather than roaming across vast stretches of ocean, these turtles appeared to spend much of their time close to home. "Here we show that ‘yellow-morph’ green sea turtles – one of two genetically distinct forms – occupy individual foraging areas which span one or more islands in the Galápagos.