The Great Canadian Turtle Race
Do you think you could navigate the Atlantic Ocean without any navigation aid, or technology at all to find your destination 15,000 km away?
Every year, the world’s largest marine reptile makes one of the world’s longest migrations. Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) spend their lives travelling between their foraging and nesting grounds, braving strong ocean currents and unpredictable weather for tens of thousands of kilometers without any obvious navigational aid. Leatherbacks return to the same nesting beach that they were born year after year, and new research suggests that they may be able to do this by navigating the Earth’s magnetic fields!
Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Canadian Sea Turtle Network for another Great Canadian Turtle Race. With the help of scientists and satellite technology, we’ll follow the day-today journey of leatherbacks as they migrate to their nesting grounds along Central and South America. We’ll learn about their behavior, life in the ocean, and about our role in marine wildlife conservation!
Which of these endangered turtles will travel the greatest distance and win the race? Join us to find out! Turtlerace.ca
Have you spotted something interesting on the water?
Join the CWF Wild about Sports project at iNaturalist.ca to help…
- You make good identifications.
- Scientists build a database of wild species population distribution
Wild about Sports Club
Join the Wild about Sports Club to receive a one year subscription to Canadian Wildlife magazine, CWF’s Best Practices on the Water booklet, and other fantastic resources!
CWF
Our mission is to conserve and inspire the conservation of Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the use and enjoyment of all.
