Sponsor: R.E.M.
Coach: Janet Evans

Nightswimmer is one of the biggest turtles in the Race, and is one of rock band R.E.M.’s biggest fans. She is quite the traveler, having followed R.E.M. to far-flung places on their tours. But, just like the band, Nightswimmer always has Georgia on her mind!

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans is Nightswimmer’s coach, so Nightswimmer should be able to swim faster for longer than anyone else.

Sponsor: Lindblad Expeditions
Coach: Amanda Beard

Lindblad the Explorer is no stranger to long voyages. In the past few years, she has traversed the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, from her preferred nesting beach in Costa Rica to feeding grounds in Canada. Lindblad the Explorer is a fearless trailblazer and has traveled this route before, so she might have an advantage against her less-experienced competitors in the Race.

She is being coached by Olympic champion Amanda Beard, whose love for the ocean and for turtles (not to mention her stellar swimming skills!) should come in handy for Lindblad the Explorer.

Sponsor: Bullis Charter School
Coach: Eric Shanteau

Cali’s unflappable spirit got him through a life-threatening ordeal that almost kept him off the starting line. When Canadian scientists found him, he was entangled in fishing gear and unable to swim. But thanks to his can-do attitude and some help from the Canadians, he’s off to the races with his leatherback friends!

Cali has been working with a coach whose personal experience in overcoming adversity and succeeding on a big scale has helped him to get ready for the Race, Olympian Eric Shanteau!

MEET NEXT TURTLE: Estéban

Go to the Great Turtle Race map.

Sponsors: Deep Search Foundation and Northern Light School
Coach: Janet Evans

Searcher might be the smallest turtle in the Race, but she’s determined to make big waves. Her sleek, lustrous carapace should help her move quickly on her way to the Caribbean, and her knowledge of the deep sea might give her an advantage in the ‘deepest diver’ challenge.

Searcher is little, but is a powerful swimmer, just like her coach, Olympic long-distance swimming specialist Janet Evans!

Sponsor: Cinco Hermanos Fund
Coach: Amanda Beard

Grembo Jones is a fun-loving surfer looking forward to hitting those warm Caribbean waves. When she’s not racing across the Atlantic or lounging near her nesting beach, she loves pulling pranks on her friends, so the other turtles in the Race should keep an eye on her!

Lucky for Grembo, she found the perfect coach for her personality -the tireless Amanda Beard, four-time Olympian and seven-time medalist!

Sponsor: Nueva School
Coach: Janet Evans

Despite starting from the faraway shores of Newfoundland, Nueva Esperanza is unfazed by the long way she has to go to reach her goal. Although the odds seem to be stacked against her, Nueva Esperanza means ‘New Hope’ in Spanish, which makes her effort in this Race an inspiration for all of us.

Olympic long-distance swimming champion Janet Evans  – ‘Miss Perpetual Motion’ – is providing expert advice to Nueva Esperanza! Let’s ‘hope’ that Nueva Esperanza swims long and hard for the cause!

Sponsor: Offield Center for Billfish Studies
Coach: Jason Lezak

Billy is a big adult male leatherback, who likes hanging out with his marlin and swordfish buddies when he’s not racing other leatherbacks across the Atlantic Ocean. Billy’s female cousin by the same name (‘Billie’) was the winner of the 2007 Great Turtle Race over in the Pacific Ocean, narrowly edging out ‘Stephanie Colburtle’.

Olympic champion Jason Lezak, a career relay swimmer, is trying to instill his exceptional discipline and energy in Billy for this Race.

Coach: Jason Lezak

Seabiscuit was the first turtle to receive a satellite tag for this year’s Race, and a strange mark on the front of his carapace (or shell) makes him easy to spot. Although we can’t be sure how he got this distinctive mark, it shows that whatever he has faced in his long life, Seabiscuit is one tough turtle!

That should be no surprise, given that this turtle gets his name from a famous racehorse whose heroics on the track inspired a disheartened nation during the Great Depression. This 21st century Seabiscuit hopes to follow in his namesake’s footsteps, at a time when we need it most!

Olympic gold medalist Jason Lezak, who is training Seabiscuit for this big Race, knows something about inspirational comebacks. His thrilling come-from-behind anchor leg in the 4x100m freestyle race in the 2008 Olympics was the fastest split in history and won the gold for the American team!

Coach: Jason Lezak

Wawa Bear is the largest turtle EVER captured in Nova Scotian waters, bigger than most real bears! While the ‘Bear’ in this turtle’s name is obvious, the ‘Wawa’ comes from what she called her grandmother when Wawa Bear was just a little turtle. She is a regular traveler from Canada to the Caribbean; she has nested in French Guiana every 2 years since 1993! Wawa Bear is not a turtle that needs to stop and ask for directions.

To get in shape for the Race, Wawa Bear was trained by Olympic champion Jason Lezak, who is a career anchor swimmer, so his teammates rely on him to pull through at the end of the race.