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LONDON - They are renowned as the world's greatest ocean wanderers, spending a lifetime exploring the most obscure waters.
Now the giant leatherback turtle's amazing ability to travel long distances has been demonstrated by a World Wildlife Federation team from Britain.
They tagged a leatherback with a satellite-tracking device in South America last year - and caught up with it a few kilometres off Cornwall more than a year later.
Aikanti, a 1.5m-long female, had travelled 11,265km on her journey from Suriname, cruising by the west African coast and from there to Portugal and the Bay of Biscay.
After swimming in British waters for a few days, she has now begun the trip back to the South American beach of her birth, to lay eggs.
Leatherbacks are solitary travellers and have an average lifespan of 80 years, although some survive for more than 100.
They endure long journeys by adjusting their body temperature.
Only females can be tagged when they come to beaches to lay eggs - males never venture on land.
- INDEPENDENT
