The “Miner Turtle” (“Madenci Kaplumbağa”) program in Antalya – as part of the Marine Turtle Research, Monitoring and Conservation Project – is tracking the migration journeys of two loggerhead sea turtles, “Altın” (gold in English) and “Gümüş,” (silver), which were fitted with satellite devices under 10 months ago.
The project, conducted in collaboration with the Ecological Research Association (EKAD) and TÜPRAG Metal Mining, began on July 12, 2024, when satellite tracking devices were attached to “Altın” and “Gümüş” at Kızılot Beach in Manavgat district of Türkiye’s southern Antalya province. The turtles were then released into the sea at Ulualan Public Beach, where their migration routes, feeding habits and wintering areas have been closely monitored.
For the past 9.5 months, data from the satellite has been analyzed to track how the turtles navigate toward various beaches, their reactions to the magnetic fields of the Earth and how ocean currents affect their movements.
According to the data, after nesting on Kızılot Beach, “Gümüş” headed directly into the open Mediterranean. The turtle made a stop at Kerpe Island in the southern Aegean Sea, then continued its journey toward Sicily, Italy. From there, it reached Hammamet Bay in Tunisia.
“Gümüş” then proceeded westward along the African coastline, advancing as far as the Gaza Strip, before changing direction toward Bardawil Lake in Egypt. The turtle eventually reached the waters off Ras El Bar city in Egypt, completing its migration journey after traveling 12,531 kilometers (7,786 miles).
The other tracked turtle, “Altın,” first stopped at Bozyazı Beach. After resting there, “Altın” continued its journey north toward the coast of Tobruk, Libya. From there, it proceeded eastward, covering a challenging 3,633 kilometers to reach the Kirissah coast of Libya. “Altın” spent the winter there and has traveled a total of 5,265 kilometers so far.
Professor Onur Candan, a member of EKAD’s board and a faculty member at Ordu University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, commented on the migration routes of the turtles in an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA).
He stated that “Altın” had reached the northern African coastline, where it continues its movements in the wintering and feeding areas. “Gümüş,” on the other hand, followed an unexpected route. Moving more westward compared to “Altın,” it reached the Gaza Strip, then reversed direction and headed back toward Bardawil Lake. Candan explained that while “Altın” was expected to arrive at its wintering and feeding area, “Gümüş” exhibited longer movement than anticipated.
Candan also mentioned that the two turtles are expected to remain in the region for another one to two years and, if the satellite devices’ batteries allow, they plan to track their return migration routes as well.
Fatih Polat, the project coordinator and a biologist, emphasized that the project provides valuable data on the migration of loggerhead sea turtles, which are under threat of extinction.
He noted that the project has raised significant awareness about sea turtles, adding: “The data not only helps us understand their migration routes but also provides important information about their feeding and wintering areas. As part of the project, we also conducted extensive educational programs for 450 students, where we visited schools to teach them about the turtles’ migration routes, biology, life cycles, threats they face and conservation methods.”