Eleven leatherbacks race from Costa Rica to Galapagos.

By now, a massive leatherback turtle named Drexelina is swimming toward the Galapagos at a cruising speed of roughly 43 miles a day.

Not far away, in all likelihood, are Stephanie Colburtle, Freedom, Billie and Purple Lightning - 11 in all, named by sponsors who hope not only that their turtle wins the Great Turtle Race but also raises a boatload of money and awareness for turtle conservation.

The leatherbacks were fitted with satellite transmitters weeks ago in their nesting grounds. When they surface every few minutes to breathe, the high-tech reptilian aquanauts convey data to race central.

Although the race ostensibly starts today, it's not as if you can line the creatures up and say, "Turtles, start your flippers!"

Each turtle was timed from the moment she lumbered into the water off Costa Rica on some recent day. A select crew of operatives is crunching the data to synchronize their separate swims, so race locations on the Web mimic real time.

The race officially ends April 29, by which time any turtle likely to finish, should have.

"Maybe some won't make it," says one of the organizers, Drexel University environmental scientist and world- renowned turtle expert Jim Spotila. "Maybe some will get caught by a fishing boat. It remains to be seen. That's part of the excitement of the race."

Spotila - alias Dr. Turtle - answers questions about the creatures online. He naturally favors 1,500-pound Drexelina, described in her race bio as "a shapely vision of leatherback loveliness" sponsored by Drexel.

Still, it's a tough life for any leatherback, a 100-million-year-old species conservationists think may last only another decade in the Pacific. Their numbers have plummeted worldwide over the last 25 years.

Will Drexelina make it to the finish? Will she best the turtle Colburtle? Find out at http://go.philly.com/turtles

- Sandy Bauers