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Green sea turtle migrates over 2,000 km from Guam to Okinawa

Friday 09th May, 01:51 AM JST

NAHA —

A green sea turtle has been found to have migrated more than 2,000 kilometers from around Guam to reach waters around a remote island in Okinawa island chain, a Japanese sea turtle conservation group said Thursday. Satellite-tracking data by the government of Guam have shown that a female green sea turtle reached waters around Kume Island, some 100 kilometers west of Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in January, the Sea Turtle Association of Japan said.

This was the first time that a green sea turtle was confirmed to have migrated from Guam to Japan, the group said. The turtle apparently headed to Japan in search of seaweed to feed itself. The association, which is based in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, said the Guam government attached a satellite transmitter on the back of the turtle and began tracking signals after it laid eggs on Guam’s southern beach on five occasions from April through August of 2007.

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7 Comments

  • some14some at 05:33 PM JST - 8th May

    Yokoso, Green sea turtle might have come to help Japan's campaign against Green Emissions. So, now it belongs to Japan, and will be subject to scientific study or returned to Guam?

  • capone at 06:26 PM JST - 8th May

    did the locals eat it yet ?

  • Azrael at 09:29 PM JST - 8th May

    Okinawan beaches must be awesome ;].

  • OssanULTRA at 02:22 AM JST - 9th May

    Pretty impressive. About the farthest I'd go for seaweed is about 15 minutes. By car.

  • DenshaDeGO at 08:53 AM JST - 9th May

    and will be subject to scientific study

    yeah, "scientific study" a.k.a. elementary kids lunch trays ...

    If I were the turtle I'd head on back to Guam and not look back

  • Taka313 at 12:16 PM JST - 9th May

    Can turtles even look back?

    Taka

  • Fair dinkum! at 12:40 PM JST - 9th May

    It is interesting the turtle made it to Okinawa. It's quite a journey and was clearly lucky not to have been killed along the way. The sad thing is, the turtle is probably less likely to be eaten in Japanese waters than in the waters around Guam.

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