Pinpointing 'Isla Meta': the case of sea turtles and albatrosses

Abstract

Satellite tracking has recently shown that the very long open-sea journeys of sea turtles and albatrosses share several features, in spite of the different physiological and environmental constraints to which turtles and birds are subjected. The reviews of data obtained by tracking migration and feeding routes show that both sea turtles and albatrosses are able (i) to pinpoint small, isolated targets by following straight courses, (ii) to continue on a bearing at night even when the moon is not visible, (iii) to compensate for wind or current drift and (iv) to return home after experimental, long-distance displacements. Sea turtles and albatrosses seem to rely on a position-fixing capacity which cannot be explained by known navigational mechanisms but might be shared by other animals that display similar feats of open-sea guidance. Future research will further benefit from satellite telemetry and other new techniques applied to experimental investigations.