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The Great Turtle Race


Ready, Get Set, Go!

Eleven leatherback sea turtles are taking part in the Great Turtle Race, speeding from foraging grounds in the frigid waters of Canada to nesting beaches on the sun-soaked shores of the Caribbean. The turtles are tagged with state-of-the-art satellite tracking devices that allow us to follow their incredible 3,700-mile (6,000-kilometer) journey.

The data collected from the turtles during the migration will help scientists in their own race to save this endangered species from threats such as coastal development, fishery bycatch, and egg harvesting.

Which turtle will reach the finish line first? Which will dive the deepest or go the farthest afield? Will they all make it to the end? Follow the turtles as they race across the Atlantic!

More About Sea Turtles and the Great Turtle Race

Image: Great Turtle Race interactive map

Interactive Race Map

Check in every day to see who's in the lead as the turtles migrate from feeding areas in Canada to breeding and nesting areas in the Caribbean.

Image: Conservation International logo

Daily Race Updates

Stay in the loop on the Great Turtle Race. Get daily stories, news, and more from Conservation International.

Photo: Turtle swimming

Turtle-Cam

While researching sea turtles in Australia, National Geographic's Crittercam team discovered a surprise in the eating habits of marine creatures.

Photo: Leatherback turtle at the surf's edge

Saving Leatherback Turtles

Pacific leatherback turtles are under serious threat of extinction, as their numbers diminish due to egg poaching and drownings in fishing nets.

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Take a photographic journey through Montana and enter for a chance to win a trip for two!

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Adventure Videos

Check out adventure videos from our West Coast Adventure Editor Steve Casimiro and go "Behind the Lens."