Aloha! I’m Moana and I’m preparing to embark on my most epic ocean adventure yet, the Tour de Turtles! I know there is more beyond this reef and it calls to me. So when my friends at Shark Reef asked for my help to race in the Tour de Turtles and raise awareness about the threat of coastal armoring, I was all in! You see, I come back to the same beach year after year to nest, and I’ve noticed the beach has started to look different. Just recently, I came ashore near my usual spot to nest and ran into a big wall that I swear never used to be there! STC told me that coastal areas are considered prime real estate and many of the world’s beaches have been heavily developed. Coastal property owners along beaches threatened by erosion often build armoring structures such as vertical seawalls, like the one I ran into, to help protect their land from erosion. Sea walls can take many forms and be constructed from wood, steel, concrete and even hundred ton bags of sand known as geotube armoring. So I’ll need your help during the race to raise awareness about this important issue facing Florida’s beaches and sea turtles. I hope to see you out there on my ocean journey, No one knows how far I’ll go!

I was named by my Sponsor, Shark Reef. Check out my marathon migration map, where you can follow along as I swim to raise awareness about the threat of Coastal Armoring to sea turtles. Please help me raise awareness about my cause by supporting me!

Learn more about leatherback sea turtles.