Which sea turtle species migrates from Brazil to Ascension Island to lay eggs?

The green sea turtle migrates from feeding areas off Brazil to Ascension Island to lay eggs.

Ascension Island, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic, is one of the Atlantic’s most important nesting sites for green turtles. Many turtles feed in coastal waters off Brazil, then travel roughly 2,000 kilometres across open ocean to return to the island where they nest. Females come ashore repeatedly during a nesting season, laying several clutches before returning to the sea.

This migration is part of a longer life cycle. Young turtles spend years dispersing through oceanic habitats, while adults move between feeding grounds and traditional nesting beaches. Researchers believe adults use a combination of ocean cues, Earth’s magnetic field and learned geographic information to navigate.

Leatherbacks also undertake spectacular ocean migrations, which makes them a tempting alternative, but Ascension’s well-known Brazil-to-island nesting route belongs to the green turtle, Chelonia mydas. The species is named for the greenish colour of its body fat, not its shell.