[Coral-List] Turtle imprinting.

Melbourne Briscoe Mel at briscoe.com
Thu Jul 24 17:19:04 EDT 2014


I visited an island in Fiji that is doing the capturing, raising, releasing. I asked this very question. They claimed the imprinting occurred when the turtles entered the water, not at birth.  They did not explain how they knew this, and I do not know if they were making it up on the spot.

- Mel

On July 24, 2014 4:39:57 PM EDT, John Ware <jware at erols.com> wrote:
>Dear List:
>
>Not really a coral reef topic, but related:
>
>Over the past few years we have seen several resorts in tropical areas 
>that stand guard over sea-turtle egge clutches.  Then, when hatching 
>occurs, the young turtles are put in pens and raised until they are ~6
>m 
>to 1 y old and then released.
>
>I know that female turtles return to their natal place to lay their 
>eggs.  The question is: When do they imprint on that natal place?  If 
>the imprinting must occur soon after hatching, then the well meaning 
>people at the resorts are actually doing a disservice.
>
>Anybody with real knowledge out there that can comment on the practice?
>
>John
>
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