When hatchlings enter the ocean, they are lifted by the water so that their ventral surface is no longer in contact with the substrate. This lack of contact causes the hatchlings to initiate their swimming motor progra m in which the front flippers move synchronously up and down in a "powerstroke". When the hatchlings surface to breathe, they temporarily use all four flippers asynchronously in a "dogpaddling" motion. Our experiments were based on the finding that hatc hlings will exhibit this swimming behavior when suspended in air, alternating between powerstroking and dogpaddling, even lifting their heads to "breathe".

Turtle Movie

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