Meet Julian!

Let’s meet one of our sea turtle patients: Julian the juvenile green sea turtle! This little one came into our care in October 2025, after being found stranded in Satellite Beach. As soon as they arrived at East Coast Zoological Foundation’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center, our team got straight to work.  

We performed a veterinary exam complete with bloodwork, weight checks, a physical examination and more to gain insight into their condition. It turned out Julian had been suffering from several health issues including pneumonia, gastrointestinal parasites, minor wounds along their carapace (a.k.a. their shell) and osteomyelitis, a serious bone infection that caused their left flipper to swell up. Our initial exam also revealed Julian had low glucose levels, leading to hypoglycemia, and high phosphate levels in their blood, leading to hyperphosphatemia—both of which prevent the turtle’s body from functioning properly. 

Julian likes to scratch his carapace against our PVC pipe enrichment in his tank. 

It’s safe to say that we knew Julian had a long road to recovery at our Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center. With close medical care, medication, balanced nutrition, and time to heal, this turtle will be returned to the ocean to perform their unique role in the ecosystem.    

 Julian received medicine to aid with his internal medical issues while cleaning up external wounds. Like many of our sea turtle patients, Julian also received routine raw unfiltered  honey treatments to promote healthy healing. Slowly but surely, Julian is starting to feel better! 

 Right now, they share a tank with Santa, another green sea turtle patient. The two get along well, but Julian will snag Santa’s food any chance they get! 

Stay tuned to our social media channels and blog for more updates on Julian.  

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.