Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
Get Adobe Flash player
You need Flash Player 9 and javascript enabled to see the content of this site.

Voyage of the Lonely Turtle
Introduction

A solitary loggerhead turtle in the middle of a vast ocean may not sound like an adventure film, but stick with her. Along her 9,000-mile voyage to nest, our loggerhead tour guide in Voyage of the Lonely Turtle encounters hammerhead sharks, deep ocean tempests, and man-made death traps in the form of fishing nets and hooks. Her body of well-suited armor and specialized adaptations for deep-ocean dwelling will help the sea turtle evade many of the ocean’s menaces. But this is just one set of challenges to overcome. Here is another: she must find her way across the Pacific, from Mexico to a small stretch of beach in Japan, a precise location that she has been to just once before, as a two-inch hatchling, decades ago.

Researchers have learned a great deal about how this curious creature could make such a phenomenal voyage. Some of the most valuable information was gained from a single voyage. Scientist Wallace J. Nichols released the captive loggerhead turtle, Adelita, into the Pacific a decade ago. Over the course of a year, Adelita did what no sea turtle had ever done before, she took researchers and turtle enthusiasts along on her journey, to her beach, to nest. Since then, researchers have shed much light on how sea turtles like loggerheads navigate the astounding trip. One of the more fascinating aspects of this navigation is the turtle’s use of magnetic mapping to chart its course.

To order a copy of Voyage of the Lonely Turtle, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for Voyage of the Lonely Turtle was originally posted April 2007.

   Print    Email    comments (29)

(47 votes)
Loading ... Loading ...
29 responses
Angelica davis -- November 13th, 2008 at 11:23 am

LOVE YOUR WEDSITE

whitney -- November 13th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

your website games are the bomb make more

Mabel Jackson -- November 17th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

ok yall two are both wrong it does needs more games and i kinda like this website it is OK but i dont relly like it

sylvia -- November 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm

this gives LOTS of information ,like for essays ;)

sophia -- November 27th, 2008 at 10:26 am

this website gives you so much interesting information about our culture and world right now i am doing a report and because of this website i am almost done and because of all this information i will probably get a 100%

Hannah -- February 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am

Wow, thanks for all the information you put on here about…well, everything! It really helps the rest of us with…whatever! Thanks again.

Isobel -- February 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

Cool website it has given me alot of information for my Science Project.
Thanx
x

Stephanie -- February 10th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

It has got lots of information but is a borin website

Turtle Greenshield -- February 21st, 2009 at 6:01 am

Next time ill arrive at my Homebeach!Youll see!

The Ninja Turtles

poopy pants -- February 24th, 2009 at 9:54 am

your website is s

Ralph Sonicfliggen -- February 24th, 2009 at 9:57 am

Love it!

elese -- March 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm

this dosnt help me plz!!

Scarletta -- March 8th, 2009 at 10:24 am

YO! Where is the GAME! Our teacher said this would be fun! I’ve had more fun in a dentist office combined with one of our Humanities lesson! AAAAAAARGH! This BLOWS!

James -- March 18th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

It took me ten minuets to find the game. Its so hard to see it on the side

Victoria -- March 30th, 2009 at 11:05 am

This is soooooo borin its got loads of info but the game is rubbish

carla -- April 30th, 2009 at 9:35 am

Its well cool the game is gr8!

Mike -- May 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Cool website! Of course, all of the stories on this site are. Continued success!

billy -- May 6th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

this is a auseome website

maxine -- May 11th, 2009 at 10:45 pm

I gust used this website tonight after watching the Loggerhead
turtle. I always enjoy the Nature Show

sherry -- May 12th, 2009 at 9:12 am

I just watched the video Voyage of the Lonely Turtle and I was inspired to buy it. I want to share it with as many people as possible.

Erin -- May 12th, 2009 at 8:34 pm

I watched the Voyage of the Lonely Turtle, and it inspired me to learn more about them… I only was used to studying wolves, but after I watch Nature shows, it’s just so wonderful that you have to learn more!

Davene Petrilli -- May 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

Loved the voyage of the Loggerhead and purchased it for the 3yr old (who did not move for an hour)

Mark Carey -- May 18th, 2009 at 1:52 am

The program on the Loggerhead turle said it has the longest migration of any animal. What about the Artic Tern, Golden Plover, and California Gray Whale?

thai -- May 18th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

A turtle can return to her birthplace after 35 years? What drives her to do such an impossible thing? Does mankind, supposely a higher creature on the food chaine, have similar ability or desire to find our root?

R,howard -- May 19th, 2009 at 7:43 am

This episode was amazing

Brad -- May 24th, 2009 at 11:25 am

This was one I wanted to watch again. Can I order a DVD of the sea turtles migration.

samantha -- June 4th, 2009 at 11:19 am

i luv ur web it gives me loads of cool info i can use for science, even though science can be boring. but havin webs to look at for it makes it lots of adorable fun… luv ya!!!

Dondi -- July 26th, 2009 at 1:13 am

The loggerhead is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary animals in our world. This episode was a wonderful tribute to Adelita and her kind and I thank you for it!

Matthyew Fritch -- September 16th, 2009 at 2:01 am

Loved the website:)

post a comment
Please note that the THIRTEEN editorial staff reserves the right to not post comments it deems to be inappropriate and/or malicious in nature, as well as edit comments for length, clarity and fairness. No solicitations or advertisements will be allowed. Users may link to other Web sites relevant to discussion, but most often links to commercial Web sites will not be permitted.

Produced by THIRTEEN    ©2009 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.

Major corporate support for Nature is provided by SC Johnson, Canon, CPB.