Scientists reveal how baby turtles navigate thousands of miles with a hidden magnetic sense

Researchers taught young loggerhead turtles to associate certain magnetic fields with feeding, prompting a distinctive dance when they recognized the signal. After a magnetic pulse briefly disrupted their ability to feel magnetic forces, the turtles no longer performed the dance. This showed that hatchlings use a touch-based magnetic sense to determine their location. The discovery clarifies how these animals find their way across vast ocean routes.