Two special events are planned for this month at Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, each giving guests a chance to learn more about sea turtles and other endangered species.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends is celebrating Endangered Species Day on May 18 with a focus on sea turtles, manatees, and coral reefs. Then, on May 23, The Seas with Nemo and Friends and the Animal Kingdom are celebrating World Turtle Day.
Guests who visit The Seas on Endangered Species Day will discover how to keep waterways safe for manatees and will have a chance to talk with Disney’s Animal Programs scientists who are working to restore coral reefs in the Bahamas.
During both special events kids get a chance to climb through a model of a turtle excluder – which is a device used on fishing boats to prevent sea turtles from getting caught in nets. At the Animal Kingdom, guests might get a chance to see a turtle veterinary examination and can get a closer look at some of the turtles and tortoises that call the Animal Kingdom home.
Turtle conservation isn’t something that is only celebrated for a couple of days – over the years the animal care teams have nursed more than 320 endangered sea turtles back to health and released them back into the wild.
Guests of The Seas, the Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort also have a chance to adopt a sea turtle nest, with the adoption fee helping conservation efforts in Florida through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). If you adopt a nest you’ll receive an adoption certificate that lists the date of the adoption, the date the nest was laid, the species of sea turtle, and the nest number.
Other upcoming nature events include:
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
- June 5: Pollinator Day
- July 25: Tiger Day
- August 1: Primate Day
- August: Cotton-Top Tamarin Month
- September 5: International Vulture Awareness Day
- September 26: Elephant Day
- October 31: Bat Day
- November 12: Rhino Day
At The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot:
- June 8: World Ocean Day
- September 7: International Manatee Day
