Tour de Turtles Feed

Tour de Turtles Marathon Update

Mon, 19 October 2009

Pacifica, the olive ridley turtle tagged in the Pacific, is currently in first place traveling 1,230 mi in only 54 days, and that is after getting a late start in the competition � 21 days after the other competitors!

She was released from Las Bocanitas, El Salvador on August 20th and is currently swimming southeast of Nicaragua. Coming in a close second with 1,217 mi is Luna, the leatherback being from Chiriqu� Beach.

While she may have covered a lot of distance at the beginning of the marathon, Luna stopped transmitting in early September and may not be able to hold on to her second place position. In 3rd place, Naya another leatherback competitor from Panama, has swum 1,153 mi total and is just west of New Jersey.

Don�t forget to check out the other Tour de Turtles swimmers and the new slide shows in the Activities page!

New Flash Sea Turtle Slide Shows

Tue, 13 October 2009

Check out the new slide show presentations that have been posted under the Activities Section of the Tour de Turtles website.

Presentations include General Sea Turtle Biology, the Importance of Florida to Sea Turtles, and a presentation for each species featured in the Tour de Turtles. Each presentation can be watched online or downloaded for use in classrooms.

Direct link to presentation page

Update on Dory and Luna

Tue, 29 September 2009

These two turtles are having technical difficulties with their satellite transmitters. For Dory, she has recently started sending signals again! For Luna, it appears as if her transmitter has completely stopped working.

There are a few reasons they are no longer sending signal. Some of the more likely explanations are battery failure or the turtles hitting objects like coral while diving for food. There is no way of knowing if they will begin transmitting again, but we will keep you updated if any changes occur.

If you were rooting for either of them in the Tour de Turtles marathon, please continue to show your support by checking the website and cheering on another participant. And remember, Saving Sea Turtles is a Marathon, not a sprint!

Tour de Turtles Swimmer Update

Thurs, 3 September 2009

Welcome back Tour de Turtles fans! We hope you are having fun watching the marathon unfold and learning more about sea turtles in the process. There is a lot of news to catch up on, so let's start with a quick update on each of our turtle competitors.

Luna, a leatherback from Panama, just took over the 1st place spot in our leader board having traveled 1,572 km in 32 days. View Luna's Migration Map.

Naya was tagged in Panama and this leatherback is now in 2nd place after being in the lead for 30 days! She has swam 1,450 km since the start of Tour de Turtles. View Naya's Migration Map.

Patty, currently in 3rd place, is a loggerhead from Florida that seems to be hugging the Eastern United States in her northward migration. She has traveled 1,151 km in 32 days. View Patty's Migration Map.

Bree Varda is a loggerhead from Florida that is in 4th place. Interestingly, Bree is swimming off the coast of Bahamas right now, which is perfect timing as the Bahamas just banned sea turtle harvesting this week. View Bree's Migration Map.

Dory, named by Disney after Ellen DeGeneres' character in Finding Nemo, is a loggerhead that was tagged in Florida. She is in 5th place after swimming 660 km in a little over a month. View Dory's Migration Map.

Squirt was also tagged in Florida. This loggerhead competitor is in 6th place. Like Bree, she is swimming in Bahamian waters - now safer with the ban on turtle harvesting. View Squirt's Migration Map.

Lulu just lost some ground this week to Squirt, pushing her back to 7th place. She is a loggerhead from Florida that has covered 545 km in 32 days. View Lulu's Migration Map.

ReRe is a new Tour de Turtles competitor. This loggerhead, currently in 8th place, was sponsored by two cousins from Baton Rouge. For Rei Haroman's birthday, her cousin Teal Phillips adopted this turtle and named her ReRe. She has traveled 517 km in only 24 days. View ReRe's Migration Map.

Pacifica is also a late entry into the marathon. This olive ridley from the Pacific coast of El Salvador is the last Tour de Turtles competitor to enter the marathon. In only 11 days, this speedy swimmer has traveled 451 km, putting her in 9th place. View Pacifica's Migration Map.

Aurora is a green turtle that was tagged in Tortuguero. She is in 10th place after 32 days of competition. This turtle recently posted on the Tour de Turtles blog about her experience with satellite tracking. To read an interpretation of Aurora's journey, check out the Tour de Turtles blog. View Aurora's Migration Map.

Chica, named in honor of one CCC's long time board member, is a green turtle from Tortuguero. She is in last place, having traveled only 69 km since the start of the marathon. However, this may be because she was observed nesting again after the transmitter was attached by CCC researchers. View Chica's Migration Map.

Full Swim Ahead!

Mon, 31 August 2009

The launch of the Tour de Turtles�as experienced by Aurora the green turtle.

Focused and determined, her body glides through the warm ocean water, drawn by a primeval pull to the remote, black sand beach called Tortuguero�or �place of the turtles.� This is a journey she has made before�time and time again she has completed the long swim back to the place where she was born more than 50 years ago. Her flippers slice through the salty sea, as she recalls a dim memory of the day she hatched on this beach so long ago. Things have improved at Tortuguero since her mother�s time, when turtle hunters roamed the beach at night in search of profitable turtle eggs and meat. Now the beach is protected as a refuge for turtles, but there are still dangers, human and otherwise, whenever a turtle crawls up on land. None of these threats will deter her, however, from completing the ancient cycle of life her kind has been carrying out for a hundred million years.

The sight of land approaching on the horizon stirs something inside her. Maybe it is the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, or the organic smell of the moist black sand, or perhaps it�s a distinct magnetic fingerprint unique to this spot on the Earth, but somehow she knows she is at the same beach where she was born. She has finally completed her long migration, and it is time to nest.

The real work begins as she reaches the shore and hauls her 300 pound frame out of the water in search of a good spot to deposit her eggs. In the water, she moves as gracefully as a bird flapping its wings. Once on land, however, her trek up the steep face of the beach, where she feels the full effects of gravity, is far more cumbersome. She works her way purposefully toward the line of vegetation, feeling her way to a place where the sand becomes softer and dryer. Finally, she finds a spot where the sand yields to her rear flippers as she digs a wide chamber large enough to hold the 100-plus eggs she will drop. The process is slow, but she takes her time�filling the hole completely with her glistening white eggs. Very carefully, she covers the nest with sand and packs it into place. Before leaving the nest, she uses her front flippers to throw sand all about the site. By the time she is done, it is impossible to tell where her egg chamber is located.

She sees that the horizon on the ocean is a little brighter than the woods behind her, and she begins to crawl quickly toward the sea. She moves forward, cautiously trying to discern the scene in front of her. In an instant, she finds herself in the midst of tall, dark shadows. They are not harming her, but they lead her into an enclosed area that blocks her from crawling any further. She barely makes out the sound of voices above her, intermingling with the whoosh of the waves, and she breathes deeply. She is relaxed, but finds herself in an unfamiliar state of limbo.

As the morning light melts into focus, she feels cool water and rubbing on her back. She doesn�t realize it, but the shell on her back is being cleaned and polished, and all the barnacles that have been hitching rides on her back are being removed. Where the unsightly barnacles had clung, the people detaining her place a lightweight transmitter held tight by glue she can�t feel. As her shell scutes grow and fall off, the small device eventually swill slip off as well.

With the sun now fully above the horizon, she hears the sounds of many people coming to look at her as she waits in the confines of her holding box. She can not perceive it, but she is the star attraction, and hundreds of onlookers have come to watch her release back to the sea.

Slowly, the structure containing her begins to creek, as a hidden door opens fully in front of her to reveal a clear path back to the water. It�s a welcome sight, and she wastes no time digging in her flippers and propelling herself toward the refreshing water. She is not used to being on the beach in daylight; she comes out of the water only at night to avoid detection by predators. With the water just 20 feet or so away, she pauses in the sand and catches a clear view of the spectacle around her. Hundreds of humans are lined up on either side of her, clapping and making cheerful noises. But they are keeping their distance and giving her plenty of space to make her way home. She surges across the last distance of sand and makes a final plunge into the cool blue ocean. Full swim ahead!

As she reaches the calm water beyond the breakers, she begins to encounter others of her kind. Her recent experiences on land are forgotten. She is once again at peace in the sea and continues her instinctual ritual of mating and reproduction. She will emerge to nest several more times this season. What she doesn�t realize, however, is that she is now an ambassador for sea turtles everywhere. Named �Aurora� by the children who watched her on land, she now carries on her shell a transmitter that sends signals to orbiting satellites�keeping track of her as she carries on with her life. The information collected from observing Aurora will help the people who are trying to protect sea turtles. Aurora, the Tortuguero green turtle, also is one of the participants in this year�s Tour de Turtles � an online event that tracks the migrations of eleven different sea turtles as they navigate from their nesting beaches to unknown feeding grounds. With the transmitter on her shell, scientists will be able to follow Aurora and all the swimmers as they watch to see which turtles can complete a sea turtle marathon.

View Aurora's Migration Map Watch Aurora's release Video.

Marathon Swimmers Flipper through Gauntlet of Storms

Thurs, 21 August 2009

Facing wind and waves that could sink the Navy�s sturdiest ships, flipper-bearing swimmers are racing through the oncoming path of Category 3 Hurricane Bill, with more storms on the horizon. Fans of the annual Tour de Turtles swimming marathon are following the race anxiously online to see how the storms will affect their favorite competitors.

Being sea turtles, the racers in this event are ably equipped to survive the gauntlet of storms, but scientists with Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC), who are tracking the turtles by satellite, are excited at the opportunity to learn more about how endangered sea turtles are able to navigate through major ocean storms during their migrations.

Uncovering the mysteries of sea turtle migration has been a focus of the CCC for five decades. The Florida-based nonprofit group, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, created the Tour de Turtles to allow anyone with Internet access to follow along as researchers document the annual migrations of sea turtles that nest in Florida and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

This year�s Tour de Turtles is tracking four different turtle species as they unknowingly compete to see which swimmer can complete a turtle version of a marathon (26.2 hundred kilometers). The giant leatherbacks seem to have an unfair advantage given their long-range migrations from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic, but the loggerheads and green turtles are giving them a run for their money. A looming major hurricane could make the race even more interesting.

Naya and Luna, two endangered leatherback turtles, are migrating through the Atlantic right now and appear to be on a collision course with the potentially dangerous Hurricane Bill. After being fitted with small satellite transmitters while nesting on the Caribbean coast of Panama in late June, Naya and Luna sprinted through the Caribbean and into the Atlantic�likely in search of their favorite meal, jellyfish. Lulu, a loggerhead turtle released in Florida, is hugging the northeast coast of the U.S. and could be in for a wild ride as Bill spins closer.

�Learning where they travel and how they adapt to changing conditions, such as hurricanes, will help us better protect sea turtles,� said David Godfrey, executive director of Caribbean Conservation Corporation. �While we don�t really expect the storms to harm the turtles, it will be very interesting to see what impact they might have on the turtles� migrations or behavior.�

In reality, human-related activities such as longline fishing and marine pollution pose far greater risks to sea turtles. One of the goals of the Tour de Turtles is to raise public interest in sea turtles and the gauntlet of threats they face every day in the ocean.

To track Naya, Luna, Lulu and the other racers as they migrate through the path of the storm, visit Tour de Turtles.

Chica returns to nest in Tortuguero

Thurs, 13 August 2009

On the night of Monday, August 10, "Chica" was seen nesting again on the beach in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

She was observed nesting by CCC Researchers and Eco-Volunteers at mile 4 1/8. While nesting, Chica was watched by a group of tourists lead by a local sea turtle guide.

"Everything looked fine," said Clare Atkinson, CCC's Field Coordinator. "I gave the transmitter a wiggle and it was still firmly attached."

Chica was tagged with the satellite transmitter the morning after nesting on the night of July 20.

View a movie of Chica's release. View Chica's Map.

New turtle added to the Tour de Turtles!

Mon, 10 August 2009

A new turtle was added to the 2009 Tour de Turtle. "ReRe" is a loggerhead sea turtle released by the University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Team from the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. She is sponsored by Rei Heroman and Teal Phillips, cousins from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their love of the ocean began at an early age, playing and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico with their families. Learning to scuba dive ignited their adult passion for the aquatic life. Underwater, they discovered a beautiful jungle of marine animals with one creature standing out above all the others � sea turtles. Inspired, Teal treated Rei to the present of a lifetime for her 35th birthday this year � an adopted loggerhead turtle named ReRe in honor of Rei. Together, they are committed to raise money and awareness for this graceful animal and allow children all over the world to follow turtle ReRe on her journeys under the sea.

View ReRe's Map.

Brevard's entry starts 1,600-mile turtle trek

Sat, 1 August 2009

Check out the news story about Bree Varda and watch a video of her release: Brevard's entry starts 1,600-mile turtle trek.

Tour de Turtles starts with release of Dory from Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Sat, 1 August 2009

The 2009 Tour de Turtles officially began on August 1 will the release of "Dory" from Disney's Vero Beach Resort located at the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.

Follow along as the turtle begin their marathon migrations!

Tour de Turtles Website.

Bree Varda released from Barrier Island Center

Fri, 31 July 2009

Hey, just wanted to post a quick update. This morning (July 31) CCC & UCF researchers released a loggerhead sea turtle named "Bree Varda" from in front of the Barrier Island Center, located within the Brevard County portion of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

The last turtle from Florida, and the official start of the 2009 Tour de Turtles, will happen tomorrow morning (August 1) from the Disney Vero Beach Resort at the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.

Make sure to start following along as the turtle begin their marathon migrations!

Tour de Turtles Website.

Tour de Turtles Kick Off Celebration

Wed, 9 July 2009

Purchase tickets to attend the Tour de Turtles Kick Off Celebration on the night of July 30 at the Barrier Island Center.

Click here to purchase tickets!.

Tour de Turtles 2009: Calling All Sponsors!

Tue, 24 March 2009

Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 2009 Tour de Turtles. Scheduled to launch in August, Tour de Turtles is an interactive and educational experiences for sea turtle fans of all ages.

If you would like learn more about how to become a Tour de Turtles sponsor, click here.