Sea turtles use magnetic ‘map’ and ‘compass’ to navigate the ocean
Nature, Published online: 12 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00410-xLoggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) can learn to associate food with the geomagnetic signatures of various oceanic regions, suggesting that they are able to find known foraging areas using an internal magnetic ‘map’. This map and an internal magnetic ‘compass’ rely on distinct mechanisms, implying that turtles have two magnetic senses.
Nature, Published online: 12 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00410-xLoggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) can learn to associate food with the geomagnetic signatures of various oceanic regions, suggesting that they are able to find known foraging areas using an internal magnetic ‘map’. This map and an internal magnetic ‘compass’ rely on distinct mechanisms, implying that turtles have two magnetic senses.
