Disney Cruise Line and the Disney Conservation Fund sponsoring turtles in the 2023 Tour de Turtles. Each sea turtle has been given a name inspired by the new Haunted Mansion film, Harriet and Madame Leota.
Greetings from regions beyond! Madame Leota is a mysterious loggerhead sea turtle who has been swimming these waters for a long, long time. Like her namesake, she has tapped into the spiritual energy of this realm and beyond and has picked up on some sympathetic vibrations that this could be her time to shine in the race called Tour de Turtles. However, she knows the race will not be without its challenges – navigating the seas has become much more treacherous, and it is harder than ever for a sea turtle to find food among the plastics in the ocean. Thankfully, there are some not-so-foolish mortals like the ones at Disney Cruise Line who are working hard to reduce single-use plastics and keep the waters clear. May the spirits guide her to victory!
I was named by my Sponsor, Disney Cruise Line. Check out my marathon migration map, where you can follow along as I swim to raise awareness about the threat of Coastal Armoring to sea turtles. Please help me raise awareness about my cause by supporting me!
Harriet is named after a psychic from New Orleans, and she heard word in the spirit realm is that there’s a race going on – something called Tour de Turtles. She is up for the adventure but knows to proceed with caution as she takes to the seas – you see, bright lights can seriously mess with a psychic’s vision and a sea turtle’s too as they rely on their vision to navigate the world. But with all the sea turtle-friendly lighting here at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and the folks at the Disney Conservation Fund by her side, the ghostly glow of the moon over the sea is as clear as can be for Harriet’s journey. And with the moon guiding her way, she is ready to swim her way to victory!
I was named by my Sponsor, Disney Conservation Fund. Check out my marathon migration map, where you can follow along as I swim to raise awareness about the threat of Light Pollution to sea turtles. Please help me raise awareness about my cause by supporting me!
Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration using satellite telemetry. Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, with help from sponsors and partners, this event follows the marathon migration of sea turtles, representing four different species, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds.
The event is scheduled to begin August 1st, Tour de Turtles will track individual sea turtles, for approximately three months, as they leave their respective nesting beaches and race to complete a “turtle” marathon. The Tour de Turtles competitors will swim with the goal of being the turtle to swim the furthest distance during the migration marathon.
The data collected during Tour de Turtles helps researchers, conservationists and governing agencies make more informed decisions about sea turtle conservation methods and policies across Florida.
ON July 29, 2023 at Disney Vero Beach Resort, Disney’s entries in the 16th Annual Tour de Turtles headed out to sea with the assistance of researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and representatives from Disney Conservation. The crew released the two sea turtles as part of the 16th annual Tour de Turtles “migration marathon.”
“Disney’s commitment to sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach spans 20 years, and we are very proud to have recently watched our 1.5 millionth sea turtle hatchling leave the nest and shuffle its way to the ocean,” said Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment. “Southeast Florida hosts one of the largest nesting aggregations of loggerhead sea turtles, making up to 40 percent of the global loggerhead population. The team has recorded more than 20,000 sea turtle nests on our survey route since the program began.”
To learn more and follow the turtles’ migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org.
