Meet Victory: Our Leatherback Sea Turtle Champion
This year, Atlantis Resort and Atlantis Blue Project Foundation proudly sponsor Victory. She is an adult female leatherback sea turtle participating in the 17th annual Tour de Turtles (TdT).
Victory’s Nesting Encounter
On May 28, 2024, Victory nested on Soropta Beach, Panama. She measures 144.1 cm in curved carapace length and 103.5 cm in width. She laid 75 fertile eggs and 36 spacer eggs. These spacer eggs help ensure proper incubation. Her fertile eggs should hatch in about two months!
Leatherback turtles from Panama, like Victory, migrate north into the Gulf of Mexico. Some head up the East Coast of the United States and out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Victory’s Migration Route: From Panama to the Gulf of Mexico, now nearing Florida!
About the Tour de Turtles
Started in 2008, the Tour de Turtles (TdT) tracks sea turtle migrations using satellite telemetry. Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, this event highlights sea turtle migration science, research, and geography. Sponsors and partners support this fun and interactive way to learn about sea turtles.
This year’s TdT tracks turtles for about three months. They race to swim the furthest distance from their nesting beaches. Victory started her journey on June 16, World Sea Turtle Day. This marked the beginning of the Leatherback Tour de Turtles. Non-leatherback competitors will begin their marathon on August 2.
Track Victory’s Progress
Track each turtle’s progress online. Victory is currently in fourth place. She has swum an impressive 1,934 km (1,201 miles) since the start of the Tour de Turtles.
Victory, the leatherback sea turtle, found on Soropta Beach, Panama, ready for her journey in the 2024 Tour de Turtles!
We invite you to support Victory and the Tour de Turtles by raising awareness about the conservation of these magnificent creatures. While we may not know the outcome of the race, one thing is certain: saving sea turtles is a marathon, not a sprint!
Join us in cheering for Victory and follow her journey as she navigates the vast ocean. Click here to view Victory’s live map and track her progress in this incredible migration marathon. Together, we can make a difference in the preservation of sea turtles.
Sea Turtle Conservancy staff tagging and measuring Victory’s carapace at her nesting site on Soropta Beach, Panama.
Written by: Lily Haines | Perry Institute for Marine Science | lhaines@perryinstitute.org