These aquatic reptiles swim thousands of miles across the open ocean to return to the same foraging grounds and nesting sites. They don’t always take the shortest, most direct route, but they do eventually get to where they’re going.

Loggerhead turtles “dance” when exposed to food-associated magnetic fields, and their magnetic map may help them return to specific areas after long migrations.

For decades, scientists have wondered about what happens during the so-called lost years between when tiny hatchlings leave the beach and when they return to coastlines nearly grown — a span of about one to 10 years. New research published Tuesday begins to fill in that gap.

Young sea turtles actively swim and choose their paths instead of drifting. New satellite tracking reveals their movements.

Scientists have used satellite trackers to shed light on the “lost years” of young sea turtles, a period previously shrouded in mystery. For decades, researchers have puzzled over the lives of these creatures between the time they hatch and their return to coastal areas as near-adults. This period can last anywhere from one to 10 years.

Researchers found loggerhead turtle hatchlings can be conditioned to recognize magnetic fields, which helps them locate feeding sites.

Loggerhead turtles “dance” when exposed to food-associated magnetic fields, and their magnetic map may help them return to specific areas after long migrations.

Dancing turtles have proved for the first time that some animals use Earth's magnetic field to create a personal map of their favorite spots, scientists said Wednesday.