A loggerhead turtle traveled nearly 15,000 miles

Gumus and another loggerhead turtle, Altin (Gold), were fitted with satellite trackers and released in July 2024 from Kızılot Beach in Antalya’s Manavgat district on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast. The release was part of a marine turtle research, monitoring and conservation program run by the Ecological Research Association (EKAD).

While Altin followed a typical migration path along the Libyan coastline, Gumus surprised researchers by choosing a completely different route. After leaving Antalya, Gumus crossed open waters, spent time near the Greek islands, reached Sicily and mainland Italy, and then headed south toward Tunisia’s Gulf of Hammamet.

The turtle continued west along the North African coast, passing near the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s Bardawil Lake and Ras el-Bar, before looping back toward Sicily once again. From there, Gumus moved through the Tyrrhenian Sea, passed Sardinia, traveled along the Algerian coast and entered the Balearic Sea. The turtle is currently located off the coast of Torrevieja, Spain.

According to Onur Candan of EKAD, Gumus has effectively revealed a previously unknown migration corridor in the Mediterranean. “We believe this unusual route is linked to rising sea surface temperatures - a clear indicator of climate change,” Candan said.

EKAD is also monitoring two other recently tagged turtles, Flora and Fauna, whose movements span a wide area, including Tripoli, Mersin, Greece and Ibiza. The project is providing vital data to help protect the endangered species as warming seas continue to reshape traditional migration patterns across the Mediterranean.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the number of loggerhead sea turtle nests in Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya had doubled from last year, reaching 6,000.