A new patient receives fluids.

This week is shaping up to be a busy one at our Sea Turtle Healing Center, where we’re responding to a large influx of debilitated sea turtles.

Nine patients arrived yesterday alone, and more are on their way today. Once they have been stabilized, most of these sea turtles will be relocated to facilities in south Florida to free up room for future patients at the Healing Center.

Rehabilitators in northeast Florida have been taking in large numbers of sea turtles for the past several weeks, and we suspect the yet-to-be-determined cause of the strandings in that region is creeping its way down the coastline.

Situations like these can stress our resources, and the Healing Center is running low on specialized supplies. Click here to make a contribution if you’d like to help us bring these treasured aquatic creatures back to health.

All seven of the world’s sea turtle species are threatened by human hunting, entanglement in fishing equipment, marine debris, shrinking beaches, pollution and climate change. If you find a distressed sea turtle in Brevard County, call Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646 or Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC.