Tour de Turtles Underway at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Yesterday was a momentous occasion at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. Researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and Disney Conservation released two sea turtles as part of the 16th annual Tour de Turtles migration. This education event is a highlight of the Vero Beach Resort calendar and gives guests a chance to see turtle migration from sea turtles, nesting beaches, and feeding grounds.
The two turtles released yesterday were named Madame Leota and Harriet drawing inspiration from the live-action film Haunted Mansion which made its debut in theaters this weekend. Each year the Tour de Turtles brings together the STC and Disney Conservation who use satellite telemetry to track two female turtles and keep tabs on how they swim during migration. The turtle that swims the furthest wins the Tour de Turtles race.
“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.”
The data collected by the turtles help researchers and conservationists make informed decisions about sea turtle conservation and management. Since the event first kicked off at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort back in 2008, STC and Disney have collaborated to monitor 29 sea turtles. This year, Disney Cruise Line also sponsored local students from Club Esteem in Melbourne, Florida to participate in the event.
To date, the event has successfully raised more than $5.1 million to support global sea turtle conservation efforts.
The Disney Conservation team has dedicated nearly 19,000 hours to studying and monitoring sea turtle nests during the summer nesting season at the coastline at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. Those staying at the property from May to October may have the unique opportunity to observe real-time sea turtle research.
This is proving to be a banner year for sea turtle conservation. This year the Disney Conservation team recorded a record-breaking number of nests- nearly 2,000 which is above the 1,500 normally counted.


Photo: Disney
About Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is a Disney Vacation Club property and offers spacious vacation villas with incredible views of the Atlantic coastline. Located less than two hours from Disney World, the design of the resort property is inspired by the Treasure Coast.
Rooms at Vero Beach are often available for non-DVC members. Fill out our form below for your FREE, Vero Beach Quote.
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