The Turtle Hospital

(Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project, Inc.)
Marathon, Florida

The Turtle Hospital was opened in 1986 with four main goals: 1) repair injured sea turtles and return them to the wild, 2) educate the public through outreach programs to local schools, 3) conduct and assist with research which aids the sea turtles (in conjunction with state universities), and 4) work toward environmental legislation which makes the beaches and water safe and clean for sea turtles.

The Turtle Hospital (Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.  The Hidden Harbor Motel provides the space and buildings needed to house and care for the sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital offers Guided Educational Experiences to public daily 7 days a week. Please call 305-743-2552 for further information and reservations.

Volunteers form the backbone of the Hospital.  They assist with surgery, feed and care for the turtles, and set up and man educational displays at functions such as Earth Day celebrations and wildlife festivals.  Many veterinarians, both local and non-local, continue to volunteer their time as well.

The Turtle Hospital contains up-to-date equipment needed to perform a variety of surgeries on different species and sizes of sea turtles.  More than half of this equipment has been donated by local hospitals and doctors, and some equipment has been donated by environmentally- friendly organizations and individuals.

A variety of turtle ailments are treated here, including flipper amputations caused by fishing line and trap rope entanglements, shell damage caused by boat collisions, and intestinal impactions caused by ingestion of foreign materials such as plastic bags, balloons, and fishing line and/or hooks.  The most common surgery performed is the removal of debilitating viral tumors that affect over 50% of the sea turtles in the Keys and around the world.

The Turtle Hospital and the University of Florida have been doing cooperative research into the causes of fibropapilloma, the devastating viral tumors which affect sea turtles.  This is currently the only known disease affecting wild animals on a global basis.  The virus has been successfully transmitted (proving that it is infectious) and current research concentrates on isolating the cause.

Four species of sea turtle are treated at the Hospital: Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, and Kemp's Ridley.  The hospital receives numerous sick or injured turtles each year and the number of patients is usually about 45 at any given time (although this number fluctuates).  In the summer months the hospital receives a large number of hatchling turtles which were either disoriented by lights or trapped in their nests.  These hatchlings are nursed back to health and released as quickly as possible.

The Hospital receives its patients in a variety of ways.  Many turtles are found by boaters, divers, or commercial fishermen who contact the Coast Guard or Marine Patrol to transport the turtle to the hospital.*  Some turtles are driven to the hospital from other parts of the state, and some even fly!  A severe cold spell in the winter of 1999-2000 resulted in hundreds of lethargic sea turtles washing up onto the northeastern coast of the U.S.  Rehab facilities in New England were overwhelmed by the large numbers and so the Coast Guard flew large numbers of turtles to Florida, where they were taken to rehab facilities across the state.  But what if the turtle absolutely, positively has to be at the Turtle Hospital overnight?  Why they fly Fed Ex of course!  Tiny, a 250 pound loggerhead, was flown from the New England Aquarium to Miami by Federal Express.

*A note of caution - all sea turtles in U.S. waters are considered to be either threatened or endangered species and it is therefore illegal to handle or transport them unless you have the proper permit.  Always contact the proper authorities if you find a sea turtle.  If you find a sick, injured, or dead sea turtle in Florida or Florida waters, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC.

The Turtle Hospital has successfully treated and released over 750 Sea Turtles since its inception. 

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