Florida’s Fast and Furious: Tour De Turtles Speeds through the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys witnessed a spectacle like no other this past Saturday morning when the Sea Turtle Conservancy had their annual Tour De Turtles race. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Tour de Turtles? Are they riding bycicles? Well, no. But it's just as riveting.

According to WMBB, this year's race featured 11 turtles. One standout participant was Marcia, a sea turtle suffering from positive buoyancy disorder. Poor Marcia couldn't even dive for food properly. Poor little turtle!

But fear not, shell fans, because the Turtle Hospital swooped in to save the day. They rehabilitated Marcia and got her back on her flippers. And man, was she happy! Marcia was by far the star of the show.

Now, let's talk about the race itself. The turtles were equipped with fancy satellite devices to track their movements. I can only imagine excited they must have felt being upgraded with the latest  in reptile tech accessories.  And get this, the race lasted a whopping three months! These turtles were in it for the long haul, swimming their little hearts out for so long.

And after all that swimming, the turtle with the highest total distance would be crowned the victor. It's like the Olympics, but with a lot more flippers and shells instead of tracksuits. Can't you just picture the turtle champions receiving tiny gold medals around their necks? It's a sight to behold, my friends.

Seriously though, the Tour De Turtles and the remarkable work done by the Sea Turtle Conservancy is truly amazing. They're not just racing for glory; they're raising awareness and helping these magnificent creatures thrive.

Want to keep up with the fast-paced action of the Tour De Turtles? Well, you're in luck! Just head on over to tourdeturtles.org and get ready to dive into a sea of real-time turtle tracking. Witness the turtles' incredible journeys, track their progress, and root for your favorite flippin' contender.

I know what you're thinking.  Why on earth would anyone need to know what dangerous animals are in the Florida Everglades?  Surely, no one is looking to go swimming in a swamp.  Wrong!

People are actually searching "Is it safe to swim in the Florida Everglades?"  I actually laughed when I saw the Google response, ABSOLUTELY NOT!  🤣 Now you see why I thought there might be a need to let people know what creatures might be lurking around them.  That is should they choose to refuse the advice from Google and take a plunge anyway.

We all know about the typical swamp creatures, like alligators and snakes.  We see them every single time we drive across Alligator Alley to the east coast.  This is Florida after all, so those come at no surprise.   But what other types of vicious creatures are underneath all of that brown water and muck?  Or perhaps taking a stroll on the waters edge?

If you've been on one of those super fun airboat tours out in the Everglades, some of these animal names might have been mentioned.  Heck!  You may have even seen some of these dangerous critters on your tour.

Let's take a look at 9 of the most dangerous animals in the Florida Everglades.   Some of these animals are also included on this list, Florida Endangered Species List Is Now Up To 39 Species.

If these don't scare you, you might be interested in hunting them.  Read here about how much python hunters get paid.

The American alligator can be seen in massive numbers.  You'll see at least 5-10 sunbathing on any given day, as you drive across Alligator Alley.

This snake is the one most venomous snakes in the state, and actually in the world.  It is also known as the largest rattlesnake.

The Florida Panther is a beautiful creature and is on the endangered species list.  As you'll see below, they stalk.  These creatures are not seen too often.

A brown recluse spider is most common in warmer climates.  It is one of the most poisonous spiders in the Everglades.

Yes, crocodile.  American crocodiles are found in Florida.  It's not an alligator.

We see these furry guys walking around neighborhoods in Estero quite often.  With new construction, they're forced out of their habitats.  But, they are not safe to approach.  They will defend themselves.

The cottonmouth can be confused with other water snakes. Take extreme caution.  These snakes are venomous with a mortality rate of 17%.

These snakes are commonly seen being hunted.  Reason is, they're becoming an extremely invasive species across the state.  They are constrictors and are non venomous.

Let's just say this one looks the scariest to me!  I never thought I would be scared of a turtle.  They are much more aggressive on land than they are in the water.