2022 Tour de Turtles at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Yesterday at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and Disney Conservation Team Wildlife released two sea turtles as part of the 15th annual Tour de Turtles “migration marathon.” For those unfamiliar, Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational initiative that follows the migration of sea turtles from their nesting beach to their feeding grounds.
The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) and Disney Cruise Line are both sponsoring a turtle this year and their names are Neytiri and Ronal. The names were inspired by the upcoming sequel to the beloved Avatar film – Avatar: The Way of Water.
Telemetry will be used to track the two turtles along with 19 others to see how far the turtles swim during their annual migration.
“Disney’s commitment to sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach spans almost 20 years, and we are very proud to have recently watched our 1 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 (ASE). “Southeast Florida hosts one of the largest nesting aggregations of loggerhead sea turtles in the world. To ensure Disney’s Vero Beach Resort continues to provide the best habitat for nesting sea turtles, Disney Conservation Team Wildlife conducts daily surveys on the resort’s beachfront to identify, mark and monitor sea turtle nests while engaging guests in our conservation efforts.”
The information collected by the tracking devices will be used to help researches, conservationists and governing agencies better determine future sea turtle conservation methods and policies. Since the launch of the event back in 2008, Disney has studied 26 loggerhead sea turtles which were outfitted with transmitters at Vero Beach Resort.
In addition, the Disney Conservation Fund has directed over $4.7 million to help in sea turtle conservation.
The Disney Conservation Fund recently received the STC to develop educational initiatives that will train kids in Brevard County to become future stewards of the environment and more specifically, sea turtle conservation. The Sea Turtle TECH (Technology Education Challenges Horizons) mentorship program and Conservation Center Career Training provide STEM-focused activities to students and introduce them to the fundamentals of protecting sea turtles.
Students in the programs above were able to attend this year’s Tour de Turtles to better understand how this and other outreach initiatives play a role in protecting sea turtles.
In addition to Tour de Turtles, Disney Conservation Team studies and monitors sea turtle nests during the summer nesting season along with five-mile coastline at Vero Beach Resort. From May to October each year, Disney Vacation Club members can also assist in sea turtle conservation including going on outings to observe sea turtles and learning what they can do to protect them.
About Disney’s Vero Beach Resort:
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (a DVC property) offers spacious vacation villas on the Atlantic coast. The resort is located less than 2-hours from Walt Disney World and boasts an aesthetic that reflects the Treasure Coast region.
To learn more and follow the turtles’ migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org.
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