ANTALYA

A loggerhead sea turtle named Gumus (Silver) traveled a staggering 24,000 kilometers (14,913 miles) across the Mediterranean -- one of the most surprising migration routes ever recorded for the species.

Gumus and another loggerhead turtle, Altin (Gold), were fitted with satellite trackers and released in July 2024, at Kızılot Beach in Manavgat district in Antalya on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, as part of the Ecological Research Association's (EKAD) marine turtles research, monitoring and conservation project.

While Altin followed a classic route along the Libyan coast, Gumus took a completely unexpected path.

It left Antalya, crossed the open sea, lingered near the Greek islands, reached Sicily and Italy, before heading to Tunisia's Hammamet Gulf.

Gumus then traveled west along North Africa's coast, passing near the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Bardawil Lake and Ras el-Bar before looping back toward Sicily.

From there, it continued westward through the Tyrrhenian Sea, past Sardinia, along Algeria and into the Balearic Sea. It is currently off Torrevieja, Spain.

Onur Candan from EKAD told Anadolu that Gumus has discovered a brand-new migration corridor in the Mediterranean

''We believe this unusual behavior is linked to rising sea surface temperatures -- a clear sign of climate change," he added.

EKAD is also tracking two more recently tagged turtles, Flora and Fauna, whose routes cover wide areas, including Tripoli, Mersin, Greece and Ibiza.

The project provides crucial data to protect the endangered species as warming waters continue to alter traditional migration patterns across the Mediterranean.