A new study reveals sea turtle babies are already powerful swimmers at birth, a finding that contradicts the theory young sea turtles just drift along with water currents.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted this new study when they tracked 20 Kemp's Ridley turtles from the wild and 25 green sea turtles aged eight to 18 months with solar powered tags. Scientists also placed surface buoys to compare movement of the buoys to the turtles' movement as they drifted along with ocean currents.

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Results show the baby sea turtles apparently traveled as far as 125 miles and researchers believe this could suggest the marine animals were swimming to their desired environments.

Biologists have been baffled for decades as to where these baby sea turtles disappeared to over the first years of their lives. Sea turtles only resurface near the coast to forage for food and to mate but their early years seems to be an enigma.

Baby turtles crawl into the water after hatching and this is when they're dispersed in the ocean by water currents. Most scientists believe sea turtles just float away during these "lost years" and baby turtles were thought not to have the ability to swim strongly against sea currents. 

According to Kate Mansfield, director of the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group, the results of this new study can lead to a better understanding of early sea turtle survival and behaviors. This knowledge will help agencies and organizations innovate new ways to protect these imperiled animals.

Biologists first thought young sea turtles spent most of their formative years foraging for food among Sargassum beds and other seaweeds. This type of marine vegetation can provide the small creatures reliable food sources and shelter, as well.

The tracking devices attached to the baby turtles fell off eventually after two to three months, without harming the animals.

According to Nathan Putman, a sea turtle biologist from NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, all species of sea turtles are endangered or threatened and are now under the Endangered Species Act.

This new study will give a better understanding of their swimming behavior so scientists can make better predictions as to where they swim to and what kinds of risks they're exposed to.

This study was published in the journal, Current Biology.