Credit: DisneyThe 16th Tour de Turtles has become a staple to the local Disney community as an epic voyage between two female sea turtles. This tour brings together a team of researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) as they use satellite telemetry to track the two lady turtles during their migration season. The race is used to determine how far they swim. The ladies have been lovingly named after two prominent characters from the recent Haunted Mansion movie. Their purpose for the friendly competition is rooted in a serious issue that will seek to be resolved with the help of Disney’s influence.
Harriet and Madame Leota are sea turtles named after popular figures from the Haunted Mansion movie, that were adapted from the Disney attraction’s iconic characters. Harriet (Tiffany Haddish) has been portrayed as a medium in the recent movie, but her origins are rooted from the opera singing ghost within the renowned ride.
Madame Leota is one of the most recognizable faces on the Haunted Mansion attraction, as well as the film. The globe-encased, floating head was played by Oscar-winner, Jamie Lee Curtis. Besides having sea turtles named after them, both of these famous ghouls were also designed after two celebrated Disney Imagineers. Leota was modeled after Leota Thomas and Harriet was named after Harriet Burns.
Their migration launched yesterday from their nesting beaches at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. They will eventually end their course in the Bahamas, Caribbean. The “hauntingly” good swimmers will be racing alongside other sponsored sea turtles to help raise further awareness about how to protect the species.
An estimated one million sea turtles die each year due to plastic pollution. The swim challenge is meant to track how far they travel, what other turtles they encounter and monitor their vitals. The path they take will map out what they avoid in the ocean, which will provide the best data on how to protect them in the future.
Disney has supported the preservation of sea turtles for twenty years, as well as invested $5.1 million in conservation efforts. They have sent teams to record and safeguard more than 20,000 nests, which has resulted in 1.5 million baby sea turtles being able to safely flipper their way into the ocean. In 2023 alone, DCF has already observed 2,000 nests this year. This ambitious endeavor reached a milestone of 20,000 recorded surveying hours over the five-mile stretch of beach at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
To learn more and track the turtles’ migration, visit this website.