3 Oct 2013

Tagged Tahiti sea turtle nears Wallis and Futuna

6:59 am on 3 October 2013

A sea turtle tagged and released in French Polynesia is now near Wallis and Futuna.

The turtle, which has been name Ariti, was tagged in Tahiti in late May and has since covered more than 4,700 kilometres.

Ariti swam past the Cook Islands, Niue and spent time in the Fiji archipelago, heading north between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

So far it has covered an average of 36 kilometres a day.

The turtle has satellite transponders on its shell and is being monitored by the French Polynesian government.