Sea turtles lack a sense of direction

Sea turtles have no idea where they are going and mostly rely on luck to migrate, research has found.

Scientists fitted 22 hawksbill turtles with trackers to assess how they made their way home after leaving to breed.

The creatures move thousands of miles across the ocean before returning to specific locations.

Researchers found that they tap into the Earth’s magnetic field to determine whether they are close to their destination.

However, one turtle travelled a 812 miles to find an island 109 miles from its starting point – and they often swim around in circles before finding their destination.

The Royal Society study concluded: “Hawksbill turtles have a relatively crude map sense in the open ocean. Sea turtle navigational abilities are far from perfect, and may simply be as good as possible within the constraints of their sensory ability.”