TURTLE TRACKING

As part of the TUI Turtle Aid programme, the TUI Care Foundation works with turtle conservation organisations to rescue and rehabilitate injured animals. Sea turtles cover extraordinary distances as they journey between their nesting and feeding grounds and migrate to warmer waters for the winter. 

Triton’s rehabilitation journey: 2023–2025

Each year, ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Rescue Centre cares for around 70 injured or sick sea turtles, many of which have been traumatised by boat strikes or other human activities. Triton, one of the youngest patients, was found in 2023 on a Cycladic beach in the Aegean with severe head injuries. After extensive care and rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre, Triton returned to the sea with a new mission: to help improve scientific understanding of sea turtle migrations and their habitats.

Triton was the first sea turtle rehabilitated in Greece to be monitored in real time using satellite telemetry. This technology enables the automatic collection and analysis of data over long distances. Project researchers tracked Triton’s journey to gain a better understanding of how rehabilitated sea turtles behave after release. At the same time, they also studied migration patterns and habitat use.

Talay, a 15 to 20-year-old green sea turtle, was rescued after swallowing a fishing line and other plastic debris at sea.
After intensive care and rehabilitation, Talay was able to return to the Mediterranean. We followed Talay on this journey to gain a better understanding of the migration and feeding habits of young, little-studied green sea turtles.

We accompanied Tuba, a 25-year-old loggerhead sea turtle rescued from the sea after a severe carapace injury, on her journey. After making a full recovery, she returned to the Mediterranean. Over 8 million people from around the world followed Tuba on her 20,600-kilometre journey. You can track Tuba’s route on the map.