For a long time, no one knew what cues were employed in pelagic movements, in movements among foraging grounds, or in migrations between foraging grounds and nesting beaches. Recently published work, however, has suggested that the earth's magnetic field plays a role in these feats. Because green turtles feed in marine pastures in quiet, low-energy areas, but nest on high energy beaches, their feeding and nesting habitats are, of necessity, located some distance apart. The location of the foraging grounds of green turtles that nest in Florida is still unknown. It has been generally accepted, but not proven, that green turtles return to nest on the beach where they were born.
Green turtles do exhibit strong site-fidelity in successive nesting seasons.
Our personal experience with Hawaiian green turtles is that they also exhibit strong site fidelity for their foraging grounds. Quick Facts Green sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered throughout their habitat. A gentle vegetarian, feeding mainly on sea grasses and algae The most valuable of all reptiles, they are killed for their skins, calipee , meat and shells.