By Dr. Dave Randle, Source: Huffington Post

The Tour de Turtles race is over this year, with Panama Jack and Calypso Blue III taking first and second. It’s amazing that Panama Jack actually traveled 2,828 miles during the 90-day race. That is a lot of swimming.

Started in 2008, the Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration using satellite telemetry. Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, with help from sponsors and partners, this event follows the marathon migration of sea turtles, representing different species, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds. 2014 is the seventh year of the Tour de Turtles and followed the migration of 11 sea turtles, representing four or five different species.

I have had the good fortune of participating in the Tour de Turtles the last two years.

This year we woke up to a beautiful sunrise we watched outside our room at Disney’s Vero Beach as we drank our morning coffee.

We then walked down to the beach while people were gathering in excitement for the start of the race and took a look at the turtles who would soon be released. The turtles were captured during the night before the race and then have a tracking device mounted on their shell.

Read more at: Huffington Post