If there is anything that we love more than airboat rides here at Wild Florida, it’s Florida wildlife. Recently, a pair of female loggerhead turtles have drawn a lot of attention and support from the Space Coast community. The two turtles, named Ripley and Johnny, drew dozens of spectators in Brevard County when they set forth on their annual migration celebration appropriately titled “Tour de Turtles,” for the sixth year in a row.
Johnny and Ripley will compete against nine other reptile competitors that have been released in Florida and the Caribbean. The winner will be crowned if he/she is able to swim the furthest. The Sea Turtle Conservatory teamed up with UCF to make a fun competition, while studying the migration patterns and the various threats that face the loggerhead turtles during their travels.
Scientists will be using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization satellites to hone in on the exact turtle movements, which can provide them with enough information on the endangered species to help support the conservation efforts of The Sea Turtle Conservatory, as well as help increase public support of these conservation efforts.
In the research that has been conducted over the past six years, scientists have found that the loggerhead turtles are slow and clumsy, but they have the ability to travel thousands of miles during their migration.
To track the travels of Johnny and Ripley, visit the website www.tourdeturtles.org. Wild Florida supports the efforts of the Gainesville-based Sea Turtle Conservatory, and we will be tracking the migration patterns of Johnny and Ripley.
To learn more about what Wild Florida has to offer or to book airboat rides, visit our website at wildfloridairboats.com.
