Australian scientists begin world first turtle tracker study

Tiny solar powered trackers have been fitted to nine turtles in Australia to unlock the secrets of the reptile's "lost years."

The world's first marine project will aim to discover more information about the mysterious Australian flatback turtle.

"It goes out to sea and more or less it disappears for five to 10 years of its life," Sea Life Sunshine Coast general curator Aaron Sprowl said.

"The goal for the satellite tagging is to try and get an idea of where they go and what they do."

After being collected as hatchlings in February 2016, the reptiles spent their first year at the Sea Life facility.

Now at 15 centimetres long, the turtles were released 10 nautical miles off the Queensland coast on Tuesday in a location close to where they were born.

As their first day away from home nears to an end, researchers hope the project will save the native creature from becoming endangered and help to conserve their species.

The tracking material is expected to last around three months before the turtles outgrow the device.

But there are also more hatchlings getting ready to be released in 2018. Enditem