Where Yoshi is now

YOSHI, the beloved loggerhead turtle, has already travelled 1 860km in the 64 days since the Two Oceans Aquarium released her back into the ocean in December.

Given her age, excellent health, and her display of certain behaviours, it was decided that it was time for her to be released back into the ocean.

When she arrived at the Aquarium via a fishing boatin 1997, Yoshi was the size of a dinner plate.

Now weighing 183kg, Yoshi was released 27 nautical miles south-west of Hout Bay in 20.6°C water. She was fitted with a tracker for aquarium experts to keep up with her journey.

The aquarium team said she had travelled 1 860km already and was swimming strongly and doing well.

Yoshi is currently about 130km offshore from the Hardap region of Namibia. She is in line with Sesriem, a small settlement located in the Namib Desert, and is heading towards Walvis Bay.

The team has recorded 390 satellite passes – Yoshi’s satellite tag sends a signal every time she surfaces.

Yoshi’s straight line distance from her release site is now 1 224km at a heading of 336 degrees, which means she has done more than 600km of exploring along the way.

Her average daily distance covered remains about 29.5km to 30.5km. The water temperature is getting a bit warmer at about 20°C at her current location.

The ocean floor is at about 1 050m below surface – so she is in the deep and open ocean.

In two months, she has passed two countries, and has more to go before she gets to loggerhead nesting sites at Cape Verde, off Senegal.

Experts say she could settle at Cape Verde, or possibly cross the Atlantic and head for the nesting populations around the Bahamas, Florida and Mexico.