Start Your Flippers for 2010 Tour de Turtles: online adventure follows the journey of 11 sea turtles

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On August 1, Sea Turtle Conservancy launched the third annual Tour de Turtles, a sea turtle migration marathon unfolding online at www.tourdeturtles.org.

For three months, Tour de Turtles will follow 10 individual sea turtles, using satellite-tracking technology, as they travel from their nesting beaches to unknown feeding grounds with the goal of being the first turtle to reach the 2,620 km distance.

With as few as one out of 1,000 hatchlings surviving to adulthood, sea turtle conservation efforts must focus on combating human-caused threats through research and education. By tracking sea turtle migrations using satellites, scientists can learn more about these endangered reptiles and the best ways to ensure their protection.

Similar to a human marathon, each turtle will race to increase awareness about a particular “Cause” or threat to sea turtle survival. Utilizing interactive online maps, videos and games, Tour de Turtles will focus on the biology and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats.

From a dedicated webpage for each swimmer, audiences will be able to learn more about the competitors, the causes they are supporting, and hear mock interviews with the turtles. Each turtle’s distance will be monitored on a regularly-updated Leader Board that will track the turtles’ progress on the Tour de Turtles website.

In addition to watching the marathon, the public can support a competitor’s Cause through online contributions. This secondary competition, known as the Causes Challenge, is designed to see which turtle can generate the most support and awareness.

Tour de Turtles offers everyone an opportunity to get involved. To start tracking these determined competitors, visit www.tourdeturtles.org starting August 1st. And don’t forget, saving sea turtles is a marathon, not a sprint!