Do sea turtles sense Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate?

Do sea turtles sense Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate?

Evidence is mounting that loggerhead turtles use a form of navigation termed Magnetoreception. This allows them to sense the Earth’s magnetic field. It has been observed that young loggerhead turtles inherit a magnetic map and magnetic compass sense that guides their first transoceanic migration. The turtles change their migration direction due to the magnetic fields in key ocean areas. Most sea turtle species migrate over significant distances to nesting or foraging grounds, some even crossing entire ocean basins.

Source



Sea Turtle - safaritravelplus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sea Turtle - safaritravelplus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
biology - marine biology - magnetism -