Freed loggerhead sea turtle covers 12,000 kilometers in 2 years

By Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A loggerhead sea turtle released into the sea two years ago from the coast of Turkey’s Mugla province has been tracked by satellite since then and has covered a distance of 12,000 kilometers (7,456 miles).

The turtle, named “Tuba” by her trackers, was under the care of the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) in Mugla. Loggerhead sea turtles are a species also known as Caretta caretta.

Dogan Sozbilen, the scientific coordinator of DEKAMER, said the sea is home but also the biggest threat to sea turtles, which are an endangered species.

Sozbilen said three sea turtles treated through the joint efforts of DEMAKER and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization as well as a green sea turtle were released to the sea off the coast of Mugla on Tuesday.

While the organization has been tracking 18 turtles with the ministry’s support in the past two years, 63 Caretta caretta, including those to be released this year, will be monitored via satellite with a chip.

The scientific community is hoping that the tracking will help them understand the turtles' feeding grounds, migration route and behavioral patterns, according to Sozbilen.

Tuba was released from Iztuzu Beach to its natural habitat on Aug. 28, 2019.

The live mapping of Tuba’s journey has received more than 5 million views, he said, adding this has been good in the sense that people's interest in turtles has increased.

Among the locations the turtle has been are the Adriatic Sea, Greece, Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Malta and the coast of Croatia.

"Tuba gave us good data. We aim to monitor turtles for about a year…We have been receiving data for 25 months, and it is still sending signals,” Sozbilen said, adding Tuba stood out among other turtles as she preferred open water to swimming near the coast.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas