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A group of scientists have unraveled a crucial clue in the “lost years” mystery of the baby sea turtles.

According to the new study, these marine creatures are very active swimmers. The researchers said that they can even swim fantastically at a tender age of six-18 months. The study showed that sea turtles not only drift passively in the ocean currents as was earlier believed.

Nathan Putman, study lead author from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, “With a better understanding of swimming behaviour in these yearlings we can make better predictions about where they go and what risks they might encounter.”

The scientists have been confused for decades about where these turtles use to exactly travel in their initial years of life before returning to coastal results as adults in order to forage as well as reproduce.

After hatching eggs, the baby sea turtles swim offshore and further disperse in the deeper water due to the ocean currents.

The marine creatures are rarely observed during the next two-10 years or so on. The researchers hardly have any clue about the movements of these juveniles during this period, which is dubbed by the researchers as the “lost years”.

For the latest study, the specially designed solar-powered tags, which were tracked by satellite for a shorter duration, were place by the researchers on 24 green and 20 Kemp’s ridley wild-caught sea turtle babies in the Gulf of Mexico.

Little, carefully-weighted or passively-drifting surface buoys were deployed next to the turtles. They were also tracked by a satellite.

The researchers compared the drifter tracks with the movements of sea turtles and discovered that the paths of marine animals were significantly different from the passive drifters.

With the help of observed and modelled ocean current condition, the researchers found there was a difference in distances between the turtles and drifters.

Study co-author Kate Mansfield, from University of Central Florida, believes the findings of the latest study may help in finding new ways to protect these endangered creatures.

According to a new research it is found that young turtles are active swimmers.

Scientists believe that the young and newly born turtles with small fins couldn’t swim in the currents and waves of the oceans and drifting is the only way by which they can travel and where the current will lead the turtle was unknown and it was believed that they may be lost in the vast ocean and hence the young turtles adolescence is referred by scientists as lost years.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and at the University of Central Florida to have a better understanding of the lives of the young turtle attached tiny satellite trackers to the group of young Kemp’s ridly sea turtle aged 6 to 18 months.

The satellite is powered by solar energy and they tracked the turtles for two to three months. They have also released buoys outfit with similar trackers.

Scientists compared the path of the buoys to the path of the sea turtles and they found that they differ indicating that the young sea turtles swim against the current.

Scientists noticed that the buoys and sea turtles were 125 miles apart within few days. The trajectory of the turtles also showed that they are more deliberate and show preference to specific directions over period of time.

Kate Mansfield, study co-author and director of Central Florida’s Marine Turtle Research Group said, “What is exciting is that this is the first study to release drifters with small, wild-caught yearling or neonate sea turtles in order to directly test the ‘passive drifter’ hypothesis in these young turtles, our data show that one hypothesis doesn’t, and shouldn’t, fit all, and that even a small degree of swimming or active orientation can make a huge difference in the dispersal of these young animals.”

This data will help scientist to know where the young turtles spend their early days and also help wildlife conservatives to protect their habitats.

Mansfield said, “The results of our study have huge implications for better understanding early sea turtle survival and behavior, which may ultimately lead to new and innovative ways to further protect these imperiled animals.”

Sea turtles are the endangered species and this study will help to protect them as they will know the location of the sea turtles.

Scientists find new clue about baby sea turtles’ ‘lost years’

Young sea turtles are good swimmers

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