VERO BEACH, Fla. — Tour de Turtles returns to Disney’s Vero Beach on Saturday.

The annual event, now in its 16th year, is a “race” to see how far and where sea turtles swim during their migration. The turtle that swims the farthest is the “winner” of the Tour de Turtles.

Disney’s conservation team and the Sea Turtle Conservancy are partnering again for the event.

The turtles are equipped with satellite transmitters, allowing researchers, and the public, to track their progress during the migration.

Madame Leota and Harriet, two turtles Disney will be releasing this weekend, were named after characters from Disney’s new live-action film “Haunted Mansion.”

But Tour de Turtles is more than just a “migration marathon.” It’s an educational initiative to raise awareness about sea turtles and the efforts underway to protect them.

Rachel Smith, conservation program manager with Disney Conservation, says the event is also a great way for researchers to learn more about the turtles.

“We’re learning a lot about where they travel to, what type of habitat requirements they have, how we can best protect them when they’re in the water and not just visiting us on our nesting beaches,” Smith said.

Through the conservation program, Disney researchers survey a five-mile stretch of beach in that area of Indian River County. So far, the team has recorded 2,000 sea turtle nests this year, which is well above the average.

Smith said there are many possible explanations for the influx of sea turtle nests on Florida beaches such as environmental factors like the availability of forage.

“We don’t completely understand all the environmental drivers, but it’s fair to say long-term conservation efforts are playing a significant role in the rebounding we’re seeing in sea turtle populations this year,” Smith said.

Smith added that she does think that public awareness is playing a big role in sea turtle recovery.

“There’s been a network of sea turtle biologists and conservationists that have been working very collaboratively towards their recovery for a very long time, and a huge portion of that, of course, is education and outreach of the public,” Smith said.

Smith credits a lot of the work researchers have been able to do to help sea turtles to the Endangered Species Act, which marks its 50th anniversary this year.

Disney’s sea turtle conservation program is also celebrating a milestone this year — marking its 20th anniversary. Since the program’s start in 2003, more than 20,000 sea turtles nests have been been recorded. And, according to Disney, more than 1.5 million sea turtle hatchlings have taken their first strokes on the beaches of the resort.

To follow the turtles in this year’s Tour de Turtles, visit tourdeturtles.org.