Meet the Disney Cast Members Behind 2 Million Sea Turtle Hatchlings

Disney4me · 2026-11-12T19:59:14Z

A tiny sea turtle has made Disney conservation history. After more than 20 years of conservation work, the Disney Conservation team has estimated that over 2 million hatchlings have emerged from nests laid on the beaches along Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, a Disney Vacation Club property. A remarkable milestone made possible by the cast members whose expertise, dedication, and countless hours on the beach help protect these incredible animals.

Behind that number are cast members whose unique jobs take them onto the beach, where they monitor nesting activity, collect scientific data, and help build a deeper understanding of loggerhead and green sea turtles.

For Emily, a conservation programs manager on the Disney Conservation team, the milestone is about more than a number. “This is so special because it represents years of cast members showing up for sea turtles, collecting data, and building on what we learn together,” Emily said. “It’s a celebration of the people who make this work possible, season after season.”

The Cast Behind the Conservation

Long before hatchlings make their way toward the ocean, the Disney Conservation team are at work on the beach documenting nests and gathering information that helps paint a larger picture of how sea turtles use the shoreline.

That work brings together hands-on field experience and technology. Using high-accuracy GPS units, cast members collect detailed information about sea turtle crawls and nest locations to better understand nesting patterns and help inform future beach management.

A Disney cast member posing on the beach.

“Every day on the beach gives us an opportunity to learn something new,” said Kristen, a Conservation and Science Technician who works with sea turtles. “It’s rewarding to know that the information we collect season after season can help us better understand and protect these incredible animals.”

Two Million Reasons to Celebrate the Team

A baby turtle crawling on the sand toward the ocean.

This season gave the team even more to celebrate. Along with reaching the estimated 2 million hatchling milestone, our experts have recorded a record-breaking loggerhead nesting year, with almost 1,500 loggerhead nests!

Since 2003, the Disney Conservation team have returned to these beaches season after season to collect data and deepen our understanding of sea turtles and their nesting activity. Those observations help scientists recognize changes, compare nesting seasons, and identify questions for future research.

A record-breaking season doesn’t mean the work is finished. For Emily and Kristen, it’s another chapter in an ongoing commitment to learning about sea turtles and preparing for next year’s sea turtle nesting season.

“The milestone is exciting, but so is the work that comes next,” Emily said. “What we learn this season helps shape the questions we ask next season. That’s why this long-term commitment to conservation is so important.”

Taking Teamwork Beyond the Beach

This spirit of collaboration also extends to Disney’s longtime work with the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Through Tour de Turtles, scientists follow satellite-tracked sea turtles, sponsored by Disney Cruise Line and Disney Conservation Fund, as they travel beyond their nesting beaches. The information helps researchers better understand their movements and the habitats they use, connecting what researcher’s learn on shore with the turtles’ journeys at sea.

Beach goers watching a turtle go out to sea.

Next year will mark the 20th year of Tour de Turtles, offering another opportunity to celebrate the scientists, cast members and partners helping advance sea turtle conservation.

For guests, these efforts offer a closer look at a different kind of Disney role: one where scientific research, wildlife conservation and opportunities to inspire others come together.

You don’t need to be a conservation scientist to make a difference for sea turtles. A few simple actions can help keep beaches safer for nesting turtles and hatchlings:

Help Carry Their Work Forward

Keep beaches clean and take everything with you when you leave.
Turn off or shield lights visible from the beach at night.
Give nesting turtles plenty of space.
Never disturb marked nests.
Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving the beach.

Congratulations to the people behind the conservation and the next generation of sea turtles inspiring their work!

Interested in learning more about the Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team?  Follow Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment on Facebook and Animals at Disney on Instagram.