Why do sea turtles return to birth beach?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Imprint on magnetic field
Imprint on magnetic field ✓ — Correct! Baby turtles imprint on Earth's magnetic field at their birth beach. Years later, they use this internal compass to navigate thousands of miles back to the exact same beach to lay eggs!
Beach has special nutrients — Wrong. Beaches don't provide nutrients for turtle eggs. Turtles return due to magnetic imprinting, not because of any special beach properties.
Warmer sand helps eggs — Wrong. While sand temperature affects egg development, turtles don't choose beaches by temperature. They return to their birth beach due to magnetic field imprinting.
More Marine Life questions
- Platypuses and electroreceptive dolphins are passive electroreceptors. What are they reading?
- Platypus bills and some dolphin whisker pits both sense weak electric fields. What pattern is this?
- A nesting sea turtle looks like it is crying. What is the useful job?
- Which organism makes the most of Earth's oxygen?
- Why do sea anemones wave tentacles?
- Why do swordfish have long bills?
