BALD HEAD ISLAND, N.C. (AP) — Seven loggerhead sea turtles that had never before been in the ocean are now swimming in the green waters of the Atlantic off North Carolina.

The StarNews of Wilmington reports (http://bit.ly/2aj39ta ) the turtles released in the Gulf Stream on Wednesday were collected as hatchlings last year on Bald Head Island.

University of North Carolina researchers spent the past year studying the turtles to better understand how they navigate.

Researcher Ken Lohmann says studies have found the turtles are able to navigate because they are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic field. Lohmann says they seem to learn the magnetic field of the beach where they hatched and use the information to return years later to lay eggs.

Earlier this summer nine other Bald Head Island hatchlings were also released.

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Information from: The StarNews, http://starnewsonline.com