Atlantis’s entry in the 2018 Tour de Turtle race has already made great strides before the beginning of the official race. As of July 23, 2018, she has logged over 1,500 miles. A satellite tracking device was placed on Lucaya on May 27, 2018 on Soropta Beach Panama by the foundation’s partner Sea Turtle Conservancy. She is now swimming off of the coast of Cuba! View migration map
Leatherback sea turtles have the longest migration of any sea turtle, known to move over 3,700 miles from their breeding area to their feeding area, so it will be interesting to see how much further Lucaya will trek.
Lucaya is an adult female leatherback sea turtle. Leatherbacks are not only the largest sea turtle on the planet, but they are also the largest turtle reaching more than 2,000 pounds. They receive their name from their shell, which instead of possessing hard bony plates like other sea turtles is rubbery.
Leatherback sea turtles are the most widely distributed reptile on Earth. Since they can maintain a warm body temperature, you can find them in both tropic and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
Blue Project Foundation is sponsoring Lucaya as part of Tour de Turtles. Tour de Turtles (TdT) is a fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration using satellite telemetry. Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, this event follows the marathon migration of sea turtles, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds. Scheduled to begin August 1st, Tour de Turtles will track individual sea turtles, for approximately three months, as they leave their respective nesting beaches and race to complete a “turtle” marathon. The Tour de Turtles competitors will swim with the goal of being the turtle to swim the furthest distance during the migration marathon.
