Ariel and Moana are racing to see who swims farther. Disney is tracking them.

USA Today

2 days ago

Hundreds of spectators gathered near Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida over the weekend for a very special send-off.
They waited patiently as one by one, a green sea turtle named Ariel and a loggerhead turtle named Moana slowly made their way back to the ocean on July 26, after laying eggs on the beach the night before.
Freshly affixed with transmitters to track their location and other data, Ariel and Moana joined the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy's annual Tour de Turtles, a friendly competition to raise awareness about issues impacting these species.
Over the next three months, the Disney-sponsored turtles will race against sea turtles swimming on behalf of other organizations to see who travels the furthest. Fans can follow along on the tour's website, but Disney and its partners hope the public's care for these creatures continues long-term.
Where do sea turtle nest?
Disney's Vero Beach Resort sits along the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a roughly 20-mile stretch of beach that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes as the 'most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the world and the most significant area for green turtle nesting in North America.'
'If you go back several decades, these turtles were really in bad shape. Their populations were really struggling,' said Disney Conservation Director Dr. Zak Gezon.
Disney has helped monitor and protect sea turtles near its Vero Beach Disney Vacation Club property since 2003.
'We've estimated that over 1.8 million sea turtle hatchlings have come out that we've been monitoring there over this time,' Gezon said. 'This year, we already have over 1,000 nests.'
What are the different kinds of sea turtles?
Three different sea turtles species nest near Disney's Vero Beach Resort: leatherbacks loggerheads and green sea turtles, like Crush and Squirt from 'Finding Nemo.' All of them are protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Disney's Animals, Science & Environment, said turtles who come to Vero Beach likely hatched there, too.
'It's why, for us, it's important that we're not just protecting these sea turtles from hatching out and going to the sea,' he said. 'We're protecting this coastline so that those babies can come back in 30, 40, 50 years from now and lay their eggs as they need to continue the cycle.'
What are the things that harm sea turtles?
Humans are among the greatest threats to sea turtles, whether directly through boat strikes, fishing entanglements and harvesting meat and shells or indirectly contributing to pollution and threats to sea turtle habitats.
Each Tour de Turtles competitor represents a different sea turtle cause. Ariel, who's sponsored by Disney Cruise Line, is helping raise awareness for beach erosion. Moana, who is sponsored by Disney Conservation Fund, is drawing attention to light pollution.
"If you watch 'Moana,' her connection to the ocean and nature begins with her as a toddler out on the beach, helping a sea turtle get back out to the ocean,' Gezon said. 'And then as an adult ... she's a master wayfinder, navigating open oceans by looking at the stars and the moon, and she wouldn't be able to do that if there was huge amounts of light pollution.'
During nesting season, Disney's Vero Beach Resort uses dimmed lighting to avoid confusing hatchlings who rely on the moonlight to guide them to the water.
'Just think if there was a light up at the hotel that looked like the moon. Then they're going to go the wrong way ... and probably not survive their journey," Penning said.
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Where do sea turtles go?
Like fellow sea turtles in the wild, Tour de Turtles competitors go where they please after laying their eggs.
'Of course, the turtles don't know they're in a competition of any kind,' said Sea Turtle Conservancy Executive Director David Godfrey. 'They're just doing their thing, and we're watching them.'
There are actually two different races in the tour: a leatherback race and a hard-shell race. Disney is taking part in the hard-shell race. They're broken up by category because leatherback nesting is earlier and leatherbacks travel further, by nature, so would always win.
"They never really stop swimming," he said. "All the other hard-shelled species of sea turtle typically goes to a primary foraging ground, and takes up residency there."
Godfrey noted it doesn't really matter who wins. "People are logging onto the Tour de Turtles website, and they're learning about these animals, and we're feeding them information about the threats they face."
A Disney-sponsored sea turtle, Ebb, won last year's hard-shell race. While Gezon was proud to finally win, he said, "Being able to have a positive impact on nature and have fun and be an inspiration, that's what it's all about."
How to protect sea turtles
Beachgoers can help protect sea turtles by taking care of the beach, picking up litter, clearing obstacles like sandcastles that could encumber hatchlings, and not using bright lights near the shoreline at night during nesting season.
For beachgoers lucky enough to see a sea turtle coming up to nest, Penning suggested staying away. "Let her do her thing and be respectful of the fact that this is a very important event for her. Let's leave her to it.'
Godfrey said people who care about sea turtles can also support businesses and organizations that support these creatures. He recommended using Charity Navigator's website to find top-rated charities.
'There are small, local organizations that work with turtles. There are larger organizations. People can do their own research online and find out what groups are doing,' he said.
Disney Conservation Fund has funded Sea Turtle Conservancy for 25 years and donated millions of dollars to supporting sea turtle conservation worldwide.
Not just for thrills: The real-life magic Disney is working to save animals
What's the best time to see sea turtles?
Florida's sea turtle nesting season runs from March through October, according to Florida State Parks. Leatherback turtles nest on the early side while hard-shell sea turtles like loggerheads and green turtles nest later.
Eggs hatch about two months after they're laid, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which maintains a list of public sea turtle walks and state-approved sea turtle facilities for people interesting in viewing.
Penning said the Tour de Turtles is the best time to see sea turtles at Disney's Vero Beach Resort because guests can 'come up close and know you're not doing any harm.'
Disney World guests can see loggerhead and green turtles all year-round at EPCOT's Seas with Nemo & Friends.
Is Vero Beach close to Disney?
Vero Beach is about 100 miles away from Walt Disney World, on Florida's Atlantic coast.