Females often travel expansive miles to arrive at their original hatching place in order to dig pits for their own eggs. Lohmann and Lohmann studied the magnetic orientation behavior of hatchlings. They exposed different earth-strength magnetic fields of varying inclinations to the turtles and then observed their migratory patterns.
Inclination angle is the angle between the earth's magnetic field and the earth's surface.
When this phenomenon was studied, researchers observed that sea turtles instinctively identified different magnetic inclination angles . This unique ability helps us understand how sea turtles detect their natal beach through their identification of magnetic inclination angles at their nesting sites, even after living away from their nesting sites for long periods of time. Along with the specialized magnetic compass imprinted in sea turtles heads, sea turtles also use wave motion and the directional cues of light bouncing off the ocean to successfully complete their journey to their natal beaches. Because sea turtles also use light to determine their location, research shows that light pollution or excess light from rapidly expanding human development near the coasts can interfere with the life cycles of sea turtles. Magnetic orientation explains sea turtle's ability to navigate in water with current drifts or in dark water and still return to their natal home beaches.