Tag archives for Lindblad the Explorer
Posted by Welcome to the final week of the Great Turtle Race! I’m Rowdy Gaines, and we are thrilled to report that after thousands of miles of swimming, we have a winner! Backspacer has finally ended the suspense! She made up her mind and crossed the finish line through the Windward Islands, between St. Vincent and St. Lucia. Now she’s doing a victory lap inside the Caribbean. Congratulations to Backspacer and her coach, Eric Shanteau!
Illustration by Chris Rooney
Who will be next? There are several turtles who seem to be poised to beat the buzzer and finish the Race. Nueva Esperanza sure seems to be picking up speed. She is heading toward the Caribbean after being hundreds of kilometers out to sea. And how about Estéban? He seemed to almost cross the finish line, but bounced back and did a loop! Maybe he’s following Backspacer’s example.
Check out Seabiscuit! He’s oh-so-close to the finish line off Suriname and French Guiana! Maybe he’s waiting for Wawa Bear. Lindblad the Explorer seems to have stopped in her tracks like Billy did before. Maybe she’s whale watching, or maybe she’s just resting up for the final push to the finish line. She’d better hurry–she doesn’t have much time! Nightswimmer has changed course and is now heading west toward the US. Check out the interactive Race Map. Who do you think will be the next turtle to cross?
We know leatherbacks are deep divers, so what about our Race turtles? The deepest dive challenge results are in! The winner of this challenge is Grembo Jones. Grembo made a total of 6 dives that were more than 800 meters (2,625 feet) deep!
On the final day of the Race, we’ll announce the winner of the granddaddy of all swimming competitions: total distance traveled. Olympic star Aaron Peirsol is the official coach for this challenge. Check back on Wednesday, April 29th to see which turtle will claim the title of champion traveler!
The Great Turtle Race Update: Day 9
Hello again Race fans, I’m Rowdy Gaines bringing you the Great Turtle Race! We have some major action in the Race as the week comes to a close.
Backspacer is very close to the finish line but won’t cross. She just can’t seem to make up her mind about entering the Caribbean. Will her dawdling cost her the Race? Will another turtle take advantage of her indecisiveness and speed past her across the finish line?
Several turtles are spinning around the same area north of South America, including Lindblad the Explorer, Nightswimmer, Estéban, Seabiscuit, and Nueva Esperanza. Who will break out of that pack? It looks like Estéban might be the first to leave that group and head for the finish line! But where will he cross?
Grembo Jones and Searcher are still off on their own, probably taking advantage of being away from all those bigger turtles and finding lots of jellies all for themselves!
Cali definitely seems to be heading away from the Caribbean and back toward New England and Nova Scotia. Does he think this racetrack goes in a loop? Visit the Race Map to check your favorite turtle’s position.
The results are in for the longest dive competition! All of the turtles made dives lasting longer than one hour, but Cali is the clear winner of this challenge–he made an incredible 148 dives longer than 60 minutes!
Illustration by Chris Rooney
Check back on Monday, April 27th to find out which turtle made the most frequent deep dives. We might even have a winner in the Race on Monday!
The Great Turtle Race Update: Day 6
Hi, turtle lovers! This is Rowdy Gaines reporting on the Great Turtle Race. The Race is getting very exciting! The turtles are all making moves toward the Caribbean, but using very different strategies to get there.
Billy is getting really close to the finish line in the northern Caribbean. Will he be the first to cross it? The other turtles hope not!
Nueva Esperanza and Wawa Bear are still nearly tied and heading toward South America, with Estéban and following.
Keep an eye on Seabiscuit-he’s not far behind! Is he going to try to overtake the others from behind, just like his famous racehorse namesake and his famous human coach, Olympic relay star Jason Lezak?
Grembo Jones and Searcher are still the farthest east of all the turtles Are they trying a new route to the Caribbean, or have they been distracted by some tasty jellies?
Illustration by Chris Rooney
Check out the position of all the turtles on the interactive Race Map.
The Great Turtle Race Update: Day 3
Rowdy Gaines here on Day 3, and now the Race is really on. Lindblad the Explorer has left the Gulf and is hot on the trail of the other 10 turtles. Nueva Esperanza and Wawa Bear are really making waves!
Billy continues his zig-zag southward. He is closer to the United States coastline than any of the other turtles. Will his detour help him make a quicker trip and win the Race? Cali is spinning in circles. Maybe he’s deciding on the best route to the Caribbean. All the turtles are moving away from Canada and farther into the Atlantic.
Don’t forget that on Monday we’ll reveal the winner of the coldest water challenge!
Illustration by Chris Rooney
Take a step to help all leatherback sea turtles (and other animals, too)! Take the NO MORE PLASTIC! Pledge.
The Great Turtle Race Update: Day 1
Hi, this is Rowdy Gaines reporting on the first day of the Great Turtle Race! The turtles are off and swimming!
Almost all of the turtles started in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (in Canada), so they have a long way to go to reach the Caribbean. There was a bit of a bottleneck as the racers tried to get out into the open ocean, but several of the turtles are off to a fast start!
Cali was given a head start to help him after he was entangled in fishing gear. Wawa Bear seems to be keeping her distance from the rest of the turtles; she’s a big turtle who apparently needs her space.
Nueva Esperanza is also off to a good start, but some of the turtles seem to be slow getting out of the Gulf. Lindblad the Explorer, Estéban, Nightswimmer, and Backspacer need to make up some ocean, fast!
Illustration by Chris Rooney
Take a step to help all leatherback sea turtles (and other animals, too)! Take the NO MORE PLASTIC! Pledge.
Posted by Turtle Name: Lindblad the Explorer (Female)
Length: 159.3 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Width: 114.8 cm (3 ft 9 in)
Weight: 440 kg (970 lbs)
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.
