One of the world’s old turtles has shed its tracking device after being freed from its aquarium – and is now heading towards the warm waters of Rio de Janeiro.
Jorge, a loggerhead turtle, spent 40 years confined in an aquarium in Mendoza, Argentina, and was finally released into the ocean on April 11.
The 60-year-old reptile, which was carrying a tracking device, was expected to swim towards Bahía when it suddenly made an unexpected turn and entered the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro.
Argentine environmental activists monitoring Jorge’s movement spotted him in Rio de Janeiro on July 29 before the tracking device stopped emitting a signal.
The city of Mendoza released a statement Monday indicating that they would no longer be attempting to reconnect with the popular turtle, which has been monitored for 109 days.
‘Jorge traveled between 3,500 and 4,000 kilometers across open sea, moving from his release point to the warm waters of Brazil, in a migratory path considered typical for an adult male of his species,’ the city said.
‘His navigation skills, appropriate behavior, and adaptation to the natural environment cement this experience as a true milestone in marine conservation.’
The device is said to have stopped functioning due to multiple factors, among them being that the battery was no longer serviceable.
The connection between Argentine environmental activists and Jorge dates back to 1984 when he was found injured and trapped in a fishing net in the port city of Bahía Blanca.
Jorge, a loggerhead turtle that was rescued in Bahia, Argentina in 1984, and spent 40 years confined at an aquarium in Mendoza before it was released into the ocean on April 11
Fishermen in Rio de Janeiro are anticipating the moment they cross paths with Jorge, a 60-year-old turtle, to take photos with him
Jorge was transferred to an aquarium in Mendoza, where he was cared for over the years.
Activists decided it was time to release him into his own habitat in 2022.
Over the following three years, a team of veterinarians, biologists, scientific institutions, NGOs carried out a ‘clinical preparation, training, environmental simulations, and intense interdisciplinary work’ to ensure that Jorge could survive on his own once again.
Dr. Mariela Dassis, a biologist with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council, was tasked with monitoring the turtle’s transition.
‘Jorge managed to orient himself, move toward warm waters, and display expected patterns,’ Dr. Dassis said in the statement.
‘Everything indicates that he performed a typical migration for his species. His reintegration was a true success.’
The bond between Argentine environmental activists and Jorge dates back to 1984 when he was found injured and trapped in a fishing net in the port city of Bahía Blanca
A team of veterinarians, biologists, scientific institutions, NGOs carried out a ‘clinical preparation, training, environmental simulations, and intense interdisciplinary work’ to ensure that Jorge could survive on his own once again
Dr. Dassis knew it was only a matter of time before the tracking device would no longer provide Jorge’s location.
‘The information we’ve obtained over these more than 100 days is of enormous scientific value and reinforces the importance of investing in these processes,’ she said.
José Roberto Santos, a Rio de Janeiro fisherman, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Jorge became the talk of the seas.
‘Everyone wants to take a picture of Jorge,’ he joked. ‘Sometimes they even forget to fish just to see if they can find him.’