Turtles' Atlantic crossings revealed

JOURNEYS across the Atlantic by leatherback turtles have been revealed for the first time using satellite tracking.

A study of 25 female leather-back turtles showed three migration routes from nesting grounds in Gabon, west Africa, to food-rich areas of the South Atlantic - including one 4,699-mile journey straight across the ocean to South America.

The five-year study used transmitters attached to females before they left the nesting areas, where up to 40,000 animals lay their eggs.

Researchers hope the information about where female turtles go in the South Atlantic when they leave nesting areas will help protect the population from the major declines the critically endangered species has experienced in the Pacific.

Dr Matthew Witt, from the University of Exeter, said: "Despite extensive research carried out on leatherbacks, no-one has really been sure about the journeys they take in the South Atlantic until now.

"What we've shown is that there are three clear migration routes as they head back to feeding grounds after breeding in Gabon, although the numbers adopting each strategy varied each year.

"We don't know what influences the choice yet, but we do know these are truly remarkable journeys - with one female tracked for thousands of miles travelling in a straight line right across the Atlantic."

The turtles headed thousands of miles across the Atlantic to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, down the coast of Africa or into feeding areas off central Africa, with all the routes taking them into areas where they are at high risk from fishing activities.

Leatherback turtles in the Pacific have seen a dramatic fall-off in numbers, in part due to different types of fishing around coasts and on the high seas.