Off to the races: Brevard Zoo releases sea turtle to compete in ‘Tour de Turtles’

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Five months after Stromboli was rescued after eating a fishing net, the green sea turtle is back in the ocean and off to the races.

Stromboli, now known as “Zee,” was released by the Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center on Sunday at Melbourne Beach. The turtle took with them an extra piece of hardware, a satellite tag that will track the turtle across the globe as part of the “Tour de Turtles.”

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Created by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the Tour de Turtles tracks sea turtles on their “migration marathon” allowing sponsors and the public to follow along online.

“The Tour de Turtles competitors will swim with the goal of being the turtle to swim the furthest distance during the migration marathon,” organizers said. “You can get involved by supporting a turtle to help raise awareness about their cause. While we may not know the outcome of the race, one thing is certain: saving sea turtles is a marathon, not a sprint!”

Photos: Off to the races: Brevard Zoo releases sea turtle to compete in ‘Tour de Turtles’

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Tour de Turtles Stromboli, a subadult green sea turtle, was released Sunday, July 30, at Melbourne Beach. (Brevard Zoo)

Susan and Howard Zemser sponsored and named Zee in honor of their son, Midshipman Third Class Justin Zemser.

On Saturday, researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Disney Conservation also released two sea turtles in Vero Beach to participate in the Tour de Turtles.

Read: Conservation teams release 2 turtles at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

You can click here to track Zee and learn more about Tour de Turtles.

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Conservation teams release 2 turtles at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Walt Disney World Resort/Walt Disney World Resort)

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