A loggerhead turtle called Yoshi was released from the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town two years ago. Her expedition has become the longest-ever recorded journey of any tracked animal ever, as she reached the coast of Australia over the weekend.
Yoshi has swum an astonishing 37,000 kilometres since her release in December 2017. Her trackers say she swims an average of 48 kilometres per day, according to The South African.
It’s official – Yoshi has entered Australian waters! Will this be her nesting site? Is she just stopping by for a snack? We’ll know soon! 🇿🇦🐢🇦🇺https://t.co/RWxn1uRIGi #yoshi #yoshisjourney #farewellyoshi pic.twitter.com/cGCdqQ8bZb
— Two Oceans Aquarium (@2OceansAquarium) February 29, 2020
The reptile is now in the vicinity of Western Australia’s Pilbara region (home to some of Australia’s most famous turtle nesting beaches), so experts suspect she might be preparing to mate.
‘With the very real possibility of the battery in Yoshi’s tag running out soon, we are incredibly excited that Western Australian conservation and research officials are on standby to meet her if she nests on one of these beaches,’ said the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Yoshi’s back story:
In July of 1997, a Japanese fishing vessel docked in Cape Town with the little turtle on board. She had an injury on the side of her shell, and the captain of the boat contacted the Two Oceans Aquarium and asked for help. The aquarium took her in and she stayed there for the next few years. Then, at approximately 25 years of age, experts decided it would be in her best interest to be released as she has matured and recovered completely.
‘Yoshi has always done things her way, and she might just keep us guessing for a while longer. Perhaps she is just filling up on some tasty morsels, or perhaps this stop will be a more significant spot on her journey. We should know pretty soon whether Yoshi is an Australian after all, and if she is about to add to the global loggerhead population. Yoshi has done us all proud and we cannot wait to see what she will get up to next,’ says Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation CEO, Maryke Musson.
Image: Unsplash
