Turtle Billie wins a race to save her kind
Billie won. Stephanie Colburtle finished second. And while local favorite Drexelina lost the Great Turtle Race to the Galapagos, no one questions her commitment to the preservation of her species: The leatherback dropped out partway through the 500-mile swim and returned to the coast of Costa Rica to lay eggs.
Billie won. Stephanie Colburtle finished second.
And while local favorite Drexelina lost the Great Turtle Race to the Galapagos, no one questions her commitment to the preservation of her species: The leatherback dropped out partway through the 500-mile swim and returned to the coast of Costa Rica to lay eggs.
The other good news: The race, organized by Drexel University environmental scientist Jim Spotila (a.k.a. Dr. Turtle) to raise awareness and funds for turtle conservation, netted about $100,000 in sponsorships and donations. More than 40,000 Web users signed up for updates, and 200,000 visited the site, www.drexel.edu/turtlerace.
The race officially ended yesterday. In truth, it was won three days before.
Billie, sponsored by Offield Center for Billfish Studies of Oceanside, Calif., arrived at the Galapagos Islands at 6 a.m. Thursday.
In second place was Stephanie Colburtle. Her sponsor, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, complained bitterly on his late-night The Colbert Report, calling for investigation of Billie's supposed gender based on her name. (All the competitors were female.)
Meanwhile, Drexel University reported that Drexelina, having laid a pile of eggs in Costa Rica, had reversed course again and was heading for the Galapagos.