World Sea Turtle Day is an opportunity to celebrate our achievements, but also to remember why we continue to research and protect these ancient ocean travellers. Today, we share new findings that reveal an even more fascinating world beneath the surface of the sea. For years, we believed that loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) followed relatively predictable migration patterns after nesting. However, new data from ARCHELON’s satellite tracking programme, within the European LIFE MareNatura project, is changing this picture. As Dr Aliki Panagopoulou, ARCHELON’s Research Coordinator, explains, turtles do not follow a single “typical” strategy. Instead, they show a remarkable variety of behaviours during their migrations towards their feeding grounds.

In 2024, satellite transmitters were placed on 18 turtles, and in 2025 on 20 turtles, providing a unique window into their movements across the Mediterranean. Mapping their journeys revealed three main migration strategies and some unexpected surprises…

Strategy #1: “I’ll go somewhere and stay there”

Some turtles choose a destination and remain there for a long period of time. A characteristic example is Daphne, who settled in the port of Izmir, Türkiye. Even more impressive are the 2025 cases of Aria and Marina, who seem to have “fallen in love” with their new areas. Aria settled in the Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro, while Marina chose the Gulf of Boughrara in Tunisia.

Strategy #2: “From deep waters to shallow waters and back again”

Other turtles move dynamically between deep and shallow waters, possibly searching for food. Harriet is a typical example, with continuous movements between neritic and oceanic waters in the Adriatic Sea.

Strategy #3: “I don’t stop anywhere”

Some turtles remain constantly on the move. Ariadne travelled across great distances, reaching the coasts of Mallorca and Algeria in the western Mediterranean, without making any real “stop” along the way!

Special cases: “I don’t put all my eggs in one basket”

In 2025, researchers recorded another fascinating behaviour: a turtle nesting on different beaches during the same breeding season. Artemis and Leda created nests on different beaches of Crete, following a possible risk-spreading strategy for their eggs.

What do these findings tell us?

The results provide important insights into sea turtle biology and conservation:

• Turtles may nest far from the area where they were originally recorded
• Αfter laying their final nest, they leave the nesting area
• They follow multiple and flexible migration strategies
• They use both neritic and oceanic habitats
• They appear more frequently in the western Mediterranean

Understanding this complexity is essential for effective sea turtle conservation. Protecting sea turtles is not only about protecting nesting beaches. Ιt requires a broader, cross-border approach that considers their entire range of movements and their full life cycle. ARCHELON’s data show that every turtle has its own story. Together, these stories help us better protect the future of this remarkable species.

More information will be presented at the 8th Mediterranean Conference on Marine Turtles which will take place this year in Greece, on 9-13 November. The conference is organized by ARCHELON and is the leading meeting point for scientists, researchers and organizations working on the study and protection of sea turtles in the Mediterranean.

• Learn more about the Conference

• Learn more about the LIFE MareNatura project

• Follow the turtles' journeys