This Thursday, April 16th, eleven world class turtle athletes, with names like Seabiscuit, Nightswimmer and Billy, will begin a grueling 3,700 mile race from foraging grounds in the frigid waters of Canada to nesting beaches on the sun-soaked shores of the Caribbean in the 2009 Great Turtle Race.
Here are a few fun facts from the event organizer, Conservation International:
- All 11 turtles are tagged with a satellite-tracking device that will allow you to follow them, in real-time.
- U.S. Olympic swimmers Amanda Beard, Janet Evans, Jason Lezak, and Eric Shanteau will “coach” our competitors and post notes of encouragement to the turtles throughout the race.
- Rock bands REM and Pearl Jam have jumped on the turtle bandwagon. Both bands have picked their early favorites.
Sign up for daily updates of your favorite competitor!
So never mind opening day or the start of the NBA and NHL playoffs, the real competition will be out in the Atlantic this month. Get in on the fun!
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Sea-Fever blog 