Disney Sea Turtles Ariel & Moana Have Entered the Tour de Turtles!
Disney does a lot to take care of the environment and the animals within it. They participate in breeding programs for endangered animals, have their own conservation fund, and so much more.
And, over the weekend, there was a special event involving Disney and some sea turtles!
Tour de Turtles
Disney just celebrated the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 18th annual Tour de Turtles! It took place at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Florida, and hundreds of people got to see the Disney Conservation team and researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy work together on this event.
The teams were tracking two female turtles as they made their way from the resort back to the ocean after laying their eggs overnight! This year’s sea turtles were named after Disney Princesses Moana and Ariel.
Photo: Disney
Ariel is a green sea turtle, and Moana is a loggerhead sea turtle. The turtles are sponsored by Disney Cruise Line and the Disney Conservation Fund, and they are joining other sea turtles in the ocean to see who will swim the furthest distance during three months and win the Tour de Turtles race!
Each turtle has a satellite tracker that will allow biologists to monitor them, and it will provide valuable insights into their migration patterns. This will help scientists learn how to protect this endangered species even further from things like habitat loss and pollution.
Photo: Disney
After spending many years at sea, a lot of sea turtles find their way back to the same beach where they were born to lay their own eggs. This is called natal homing.
Disney-sponsored turtles have traveled a total of 55,000 miles total wearing satellite tags! Last year, Ebb the loggerhead sea turtle was the winner of Tour de Turtles after swimming over 1,100 miles. This was the first-ever turtle sponsored by Disney to win the race!
Photo: Disney
At this year’s event, some young innovators were invited to participate, like Jack the “Kid Conservationist” and 15-year-old from New Hampshire. He is passionate about protecting the environment and spreading awareness about endangered species to inspire more young people to get involved.
“Seeing the sea turtles so close and learning about them at the same time was fascinating. It’s inspiring to see the work that Disney and the Sea Turtle Conservancy are doing to protect the species,” said Jack.
Photo: Disney
Since 2007, Disney Conservation has documented more than 1.8 million sea turtle hatchlings from over 24,000 nests near Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
New technology has also been added to the satellite tags allowing scientists to track water temperature and the turtles’ dive patterns.
Photo: Disney
“I grew up spending lots of time outdoors and really fell in love with nature from a young age. After visiting a sea turtle rehabilitation center in high school, I felt inspired to help these incredibly resilient and fascinating animals and their habitats. I’ve been lucky enough to spend my career studying them, but it takes more than me and my fellow researchers to protect them – it takes everyone,” said Emily, who leads Disney’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program.
Disney Cruise Line supported local students from Club Esteem, which is a non-profit in Melbourne, Florida that is dedicated to creating enriching and education experiences. Students were able to participate in various beachside activities to learn more about sea turtle conservation during Tour de Turtles thanks to the Sea Turtles Conservancy’s Sea Turtle Tech program.
Photo: Disney
“When the Sea Turtle Conservancy saw how much people, especially young people, enjoyed watching the migrations of sea turtles online, we knew this research could be used to raise broad awareness about sea turtles and the threats they face,” said David Godfrey, executive director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
He went on to say, “Today, the Tour de Turtles is our most effective tool for reaching and inspiring young people to get involved in conservation. When you add in the amazing support and partnership with Disney, the Tour de Turtles becomes a powerful vehicle for expanding awareness and support for the protection of sea turtles and their habitats.”
Photo: Disney
How You Can Help Sea Turtles
So, how can you help sea turtles? Well, there are some simple things you can do like keeping the beaches clean, turning off lights near the shore at night, avoiding marked nests, and knocking down sandcastles to create obstacle-free beaches for the turtles.
You can also join a local conservation group, volunteer for beach cleanups, or adopt a turtle to support protection efforts. Every little bit helps create a safer and healthier environment for sea turtles and coastal wildlife!
Photo: Disney
“Every little bit counts when it comes to conservation. When one person takes a small step, we’re all able to make a difference – and it really adds up,” shares Jack.
Being a part of STC’s annual Tour de Turtles is one way that Disney Planet Possible is brought to life. If you want to follow Ariel and Moana’s turtle migrations and where their journeys are taking them, be sure to visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org.
Photo: Disney
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