Eleven leatherback turtles are swimming across the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos islands in a "race" that will be tracked online to highlight the plight of the endagered creatures.
They have been tagged with satelilite communication devices that give their positions as they head from nesting sites on Costa Rica's Playa Grande beach to feeding grounds near the Galapagos, 950 miles away.
They can be tracked at
www.greatturtlerace.com.

- 950 miles -
95% of leatherback turtles in the Pacific have vanished in the past 20 years due to human activity.