Que tal amigos?! Me llamo Esperanza, which means “hope!” During the Tour de Turtles, I’m raising awareness about the threat of light pollution which is why I’m so excited to partner up with Team Turtle for this year’s race. They really know what they’re doing when it comes to lighting. If I crawl up on the beach and see a white, unshielded light, I will have to turn around and try to find another place to nest, which isn’t ideal for me as it uses up critical energy. White lights are just as dangerous for my hatchlings as well – when they hatch from the nest I dug for them and see a white light, they may crawl toward it and end up in a storm drain, a backyard, or on the road. So make sure to turn off unnecessary lights visible on nesting beaches or use sea turtle-friendly light fixtures to help. As they say, Sea Turtles Dig the Dark!

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

Learn more about leatherback sea turtles.