We’re preparing for an influx of baby sea turtles.

We’re expecting – baby sea turtles – at our Sea Turtle Healing Center! With severe weather already affecting ocean conditions, about 15 post-hatchlings have been brought to our Healing Center, and we expect to see more as Hurricane Helene makes its way through Florida.  

Major weather events like hurricanes can waylay baby sea turtles who are in offshore sargassum rafts or are headed to these offshore patches of seaweed that provide them with shelter and food.  

If you find a baby sea turtle on the beach, do NOT place them back in the water. These little sea turtles may not have the energy to make another trip to the sargassum. Please contact the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646 for further instructions. 

Our Healing Center team is well-experienced with influxes of baby sea turtles, especially when poor weather is on the horizon. Each of the babies is carefully assessed by our Healing Center staff and volunteers. They’re categorized by species as well as by size – “hatchlings” are under 5 centimeters long, while “post-hatchlings” are 5 centimeters or longer. Any injured or ill turtles are treated by our veterinary team for care.    

The healthy turtles get situated in a tank outfitted with special enrichment items that allow them to comfortably float (although many spend their time whizzing around the tank!). They’re fed lettuce and a mixture of fish, shrimp, crabs and clams. 

Our staff and volunteers will be caring for these turtles until open ocean conditions improve. The baby sea turtles will be transported offshore in a boat and placed back in the weed lines.    

Have you found a sea turtle that needs help? Visit this page or call the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646. Want to help the Sea Turtle Healing Center? Support our Zoo, or view our Healing Center’s wishlist.