Tour de Turtles August 2, 2026 Vero Beach, Florida

Tour de Turtles 2026

August 2, 2026 Vero Beach, Florida

Calling all Turtle Lovers and Conservationists, this is the event for you! Tour de Turtles are several events that take place during the summer at different locations. All the events are focused on releasing two sea turtles with tracking devices to scientist can learn more about migration patterns and environmental data. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Archie Carr Refuge event wrapped up the 2026 Tour de Turtle Marathon.

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is located just south of the Archie Carr Refuge, in fact they share a beach. When the Walt Disney Company build the Vero Beach Resort they specially designed it to be conservation focused and offer year round programs to teach visitors about Sea Turtles. This is one of the reasons why hosting the Tour de Turtles event at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is such a great idea. The event officially starts at 7 am on the beach. When standing the hotel pier looking down at the beach you can look into the Sea Turtle Conservancy tents. There are two tents one for each turtle. This years’ turtles were named after the Live Action Moana movie that recently came out. Pua and Hei Hei! Under the conservation tents, experts attached tracking devices to the turtle’s back. They check last minute vitals and keep the turtles comfortable before the big race starts. Stemming from the turtle tents are roped off path for the turtles’ direct root to the ocean. There are special tent areas for the VIP guest and kids viewing areas completed with umbrellas. General viewing is located behind the kids view area, with great views of the race. You want to get there area because this event is a popular one and the beach will fill up fast. While you wait representatives from different conservation groups and Walt Disney Company, along with two event spokespersons shared information about the Tour de Turtles program, conservation efforts and fun Disney and Turtle trivia.

8:00am! It’s officially time to start the race! Pau was ready to race first. It took him 3 minutes and 34 seconds to get from the tent area back to the ocean. Shortly after it was Hei Hei’s turn. Hei Hei took 5 minutes and 54 seconds to reach the ocean. Making Pua the winner if this year’s race. Every one cheered for both turtles when they entered the water.

The fun does not need to stop there. You can follow Pua and Hei Hei adventures on the Tour de Turtles website or by purchasing a Fahlo bracelet (any animal bracelet) at the resort gift shop and receiving a special tracking card for both Pau and Hei Hei. It is very interesting to see the paths that the turtles take, what islands they travel to and how they zig zag around. The Fahlo app also shares facts about turtles. Making it a great way to learn more about these amazing animals.

The Sea Turtle Conservancy is the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group, founded in 1959 by Dr. Archie Carr. Headquartered in Florida, the organization works globally to protect sea turtle populations through research, education, advocacy, and habitat preservation. They carry out critical nesting beach monitoring programs in places like Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean to protect mothers and their eggs. Through creative initiatives like the "Tour de Turtles" satellite tracking race, they actively raise public awareness about marine pollution and habitat loss. Ultimately, their decades of data and advocacy have successfully shaped international policies and secured critical protected areas for endangered marine turtles. For more information about the Sea Turtle conservancy check out their website at www.conserveturtles.org