Posts Tagged ‘leatherback’
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A Leatherback Story: Amazing Survivors, Incredible Opportunities (Part 3 of 3)
Read part 1 and part 2 of this series If you have never seen one, leatherbacks are pretty much dinosaurs. They are huge and look like something that hasn’t changed in millions of years. When I first saw this 900-pound figure crawl out of a pitch black ocean, I was not entirely sure that what we were doing was safe. It stirred something deep inside of me though. Something basic, something old. We allowed the turtle to nest, and once it started laying eggs we checked for its tags and measured the length of the shell, recording all of our findings. ... -
A Leatherback Story: Shell Beach (Part 2 of 3)
Read part 1 of this series The beach is comprised of brown sand that runs directly into the thickest jungle imaginable. The water is murky from the jungle silt deposited by the rivers just north of the beach, and there was a constant 20mph wind coming directly off the Atlantic. I set my tent up under a hand-built hut with no walls and took a tour of the camp. There was one main hut, which served as the kitchen and gathering place. There was no power so everything was cooked over a fire pit. Rain water was used for food preparation ... -
A Leatherback Story: Getting Out (Part 1 of 3)
I am a relatively new employee, having worked with CI for a year and a half now. I recently decided that I needed to get out from behind a desk and go have my first experience with conservation in the field. This of course meant one thing – I was going to have to volunteer. After some searching, I came across a project in one of the wildest places left in the world, Guyana, South America – even better, I would be working with one of my favorite animals of all time, the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The ... -
A few more prizes
Whew - we just finished two weeks of the Great Turtle Race. Eleven leatherback sea turtles raced from Canada’s Atlantic coast to the beaches of the Caribbean – with Backspacer – Pearl Jam’s pick – earning the win. Thanks for following the Great Turtle Race. You and thousands of other turtle fans made this Race one for the history books. We just have a few more awards to give out... Which turtle won the coveted Pearl Jam Audience Favorite award? Why none other than Pearl Jam’s favorite turtle herself – Backspacer! Fans like you voted for this top turtle by making gifts in her honor ... -
It ain’t over yet
You’ve met the turtles, you’ve followed the action, you’ve cheered yourself hoarse, and you’ve learned a thing or two along the way. The Great Turtle Race may have ended, but the journey towards healthy sea turtle populations and healthy seas isn’t over yet — both still need your help. Take the following steps and show our leatherback champs that you care. Bring a friend or two along for the ride and multiply your impact. Keep up with what’s happening with sea turtles around the globe at www.SeaTurtleStatus.org. Learn more about what conservation groups are doing to save leatherbacks in the Atlantic Ocean at ... -
Coach Jason Lezak Wraps up the Race
Hi Race fans! So, I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I’m the blogger on the last day of the Race; I’m a career anchor leg swimmer, after all! What an incredible Race this has been, don’t you think? I’m proud of my turtles – Billy, Seabiscuit, and Wawa Bear – because they really worked hard in practice and I think it paid off. These turtles have some serious talent when it comes to swimming, but they’ve also been doing it for a really, really long time. I’m a world-class sprint swimmer, so I really wanted to get these guys to ... -
Day 14: The race is over, but the turtles swim on
Welcome to the final day of the Great Turtle Race! I’m the ‘Voice of Swimming,’ Rowdy Gaines, along with my partner, Mr. Leatherback, reporting live. Monday, Backspacer finished first after days of twirling around the finish line and with several other turtles threatening to steal victory from her. One of those turtles, Seabiscuit finished strong to take second place, crossing the finish line off the coast of Suriname yesterday, and Nueva Esperanza narrowly edged out Estéban to cross through the Windward Islands and into the winners’ circle. And it’s all come down to this, the final day of the Great ... -
Where are they now: the true stories of each racing turtle
All turtles were tagged off Halifax, Nova Scotia, in July 2008, and began their migrations in September. They began to cross into the Caribbean in late January-early February, and the data used to create the Race went through the beginning of March. Therefore, the real duration of the leatherbacks’ migrations was four to six months, but the Race compressed that time into a two-week period. Here we present what we think actually happened to each of the turtles in the Race based on their tracks during the Race and since the Race ended. Wawa Bear Turtle Stats Wawa Bear nested on the same ... -
Coach Aaron Peirsol: Longest Distance Traveled Challenge Award
Hi Race fans! After thousands of kilometers, several countries, many obstacles, numerous unexpected twists and turns, and one big ocean, we’ve arrived at the end of the Great Turtle Race. This being the last day of the Race, we’re also set to announce the results of the ‘Longest Distance Traveled’ swimming challenge. See the challenge results below the race map! Preparing the turtles for this challenge has been pretty easy, as they are really built perfectly for long swims. Those extra-large flippers, big swimming muscles, and ability to swim for long distances while holding their breath mean that they’re well-equipped for the ... -
Janet Evans: This is when champions are made
Hi everyone, What an exciting Race this has become! I’m really excited today because Nueva Esperanza, one of the turtles that I’m coaching, showed some amazing speed and determination to cross the finish line today! Our team is really happy for her incredible performance. I’m also thrilled to be able to give a few words of encouragement to all of the turtles as they near the end of the Great Turtle Race, and before tomorrow’s announcement of the results of Longest Distance Traveled swimming challenge. I know a thing or two about long distance swimming competitions, having won five Olympic medals and 45 US ...
