On June 16, Sanjay, a male Pacific green sea turtle, unintentionally swam into the spotlight when he traveled from Cocos Island Marine National Park in Costa Rica to Galapagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador, a distance of nearly 400 miles. What this endangered turtle didn’t know was that he was the first of his kind known to make this journey.

Sanjay was one of three turtles tagged with satellite transmitters during Turtle Island Restoration Network and PRETOMA’s (a Costa Rican nonprofit working toward turtle restoration) joint 10-day research expedition to investigate turtle-migration patterns. Both organizations have been conducting research into the movement of endangered turtles and sharks in the Galapagos and Cocos Island in hopes of finding a biological connection between the two sanctuaries, and have tagged more than 100 turtles since 2009.

“There was preliminary data that connected the Galapagos and Cocos Island, but this was the first time the tracking data confirmed it,” said Todd Steiner, executive director at TIRN, “It complements data we’ve already collected for hammerhead and silky sharks,” he said.

The animals migrate along an underwater mountain range, Cocos Ridge, which extends between the two areas. The range is also a hot spot for international, industrial fishing vessels, which are putting migratory, endangered animals like Sanjay at risk.

Fortunately for Sanjay, there is a solution within reach. Both Costa Rica’s and Ecuador’s exclusive economic zones extend 200 miles from their coastlines, and include the Galapagos and Cocos Island, respectively. These exclusive economic zones overlap.

“There’s been a lot of talk and a little bit of movement toward protecting these international waters; it would only take these two countries to agree to make the corridor a marine protected area,” Steiner said. “There are ongoing discussions and meetings taking place between the countries in the Eastern Pacific area.”

In the meantime, what can divers do to help?

Tirn offers divers the opportunity to join scientists on a 10- or 12-day liveaboard expedition to observe and help tag sea turtles and hammerhead sharks at Cocos island national Park. Divers can also photograph any sea turtles, whale sharks, and hammerhead sharks they see in the Eastern Pacific, and send them to Tirn so the animals can be identified and logged. For more information, visit seaturtles.org.