Abstract The navigational capabilities of the loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta ) have long represented one of the most profound enigmas in sensory biology and movement ecology. Emerging from subterranean nests on the sandy littorals of the southeastern United States, these reptilian mariners embark on a transoceanic odyssey—a multi-year migration spanning the North Atlantic Gyre—before returning with high fidelity to their natal regions. While the mid-20th century esta