14 DAY TRIAL // A new study conducted by experts Courtney S. Endres and Kenneth J. Lohmann, both from the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, suggests that some sea turtles may be able to smell the shore, using their nose to distinguish between known and unknown fragrances coming from solid ground.
In the study, 10 Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) were placed in a tank of water, and then exposed to various scents. The scientists used either distilled water or mud from Sage Bay. Whenever the mud scent was piped over the creatures, all 10 turtles spent more time swimming with their heads above the water, an effect that was not noticed when using distilled water.
Additionally, the turtles were exposed to various other scents, including cinnamon, jasmine and lemon. The team was interested to see how the animals would react to new smells, as opposed to that of regular mud. When the new smells were present, the Loggerheads did not surface, suggesting that the smell of mud drew them to the shore.
Details of the new investigation were published in the November 1 issue of the esteemed scientific journal Marine Biology, ScienceMag reports.