It’s a turtle race for which you’ll find coverage online and competitors with sponsors like R.E.M. and Pearl Jam.
Eleven endangered leatherback sea turtles are racing from feeding areas off the Atlantic Ocean to breeding areas in the warm, tropical waters of the warm Caribbean. The race started yesterday off the Nova Scotia coast near St. Margarets Bay and will last about two weeks.
The race is taking place to spotlight the importance of protecting these “iconic animal species” from extinction. The leatherback is the world’s largest turtle, growing up to be two metres in length and 500 kilograms.
“Waters off Atlantic Canada are one of the most important feeding grounds for leatherback turtles,” Dr. Mike James, director of science for the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, said in a?release. “Canadians share their leatherbacks with the international community, and this race highlights how important it is we work together to care for this species.”
The leatherbacks have each been satellite-tagged by Canadian Sea Turtle Network in Halifax to monitor their progress, which people can do online at greatturtlerace.org. Turtle names for the race include Night-swimmer, sponsored by R.E.M. and Pearl Jam’s Backspacer.
