Sea Turtle Specialists

08/05/2026

Meet Meatball. 🐢

After getting snagged by a J-hook at a local pier, Meatball made it to us for care. Dr. Carrie carefully evaluated the injury and successfully removed the hook from the shoulder.

A huge thank you to our rescue partners at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and Sea Turtle Adventures for their quick response and safe transport. It takes a turtle team to give these turtles a second chance.

With a little rest (and a reminder that fish bait isn’t on the menu 😉), Meatball will be heading back to the ocean soon.

If you accidentally hook a sea turtle, don’t cut the line and leave it. Call our Sea Turtle Emergency Line: 561-782-2707 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922) so trained responders can safely rescue and treat the turtle.

07/23/2026

Fingers crossed for this little fighter. 🐢❤️

A late-day rescue brought in our newest patient, and we are so grateful for the amazing team at Sea Turtle Adventures for quickly responding and getting to us!

After carefully removing all of the algae and mud covering the shell, we uncovered the reason for this turtle’s stranding - a serious injury caused by a boat propellor.

We are still unsure of this patient’s prognosis, but our team is working hard to provide the care and support needed. We’ll share a full update soon. 💚

07/19/2026

🩸 We hired a medical team that works for blood… literally.

Meet the newest members of our rehabilitation team: medicinal leeches!

This week, these tiny blood-sucking specialists will help us treat a sea turtle with a severe flipper entanglement injury. While they may seem like outdated medicine, medicinal leeches are still used today in both human and veterinary medicine.

Their saliva contains natural compounds that help improve circulation, reduce pain, and support healing - giving compromised tissue the best chance to recover.

Stay tuned for more as we share these tiny workers in sea turtle medicine in action. 🐢🩸

👇 Have you ever seen medicinal leeches used in modern medicine?

🩸 Yes
🤢 No way!

07/11/2026

Our first offshore trip of the season! 💙

Off to the Gulf Stream…

To the places they will go! 🌊🐢✨

💙

07/07/2026

07/03/2026

Remember our loggerhead patient, Ragtime? ❤️‍🩹

While recovering in our hospital from an accidental fishing hook injury and debilitation, we’re finding all kinds of marine life Ragtime has been passing - including several species of crabs, sea cucumbers, and even a whole pufferfish! 🐡

It’s always fascinating to learn what wild loggerheads are eating, and identifying these species can even give us clues about where they’ve been foraging before rescue. 🦀🐚🦞🦐🦑

06/28/2026

🎉 It’s here! Our official Sea Turtle Specialists Etsy shop is now open! 🐢💙

Each item is created and designed in-house bringing together a background in sea turtle medicine, marine biology, and art. Every purchase directly supports patient care and allows us to continue promoting conservation awareness and action.

🛍️ Shop now through the link in our bio!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeaTurtleSpecialists

Thank you for supporting our nonprofit and helping make a difference one purchase at a time! 💙🌊

06/27/2026

‼️⚠️Another boat strike. Another adult sea turtle lost during nesting season.

Sea turtle responders across Florida have spent the last few months responding to injured and deceased turtles, from juveniles to healthy breeding adults. These are losses that should not be happening.

Our coastal waters are not only important feeding grounds for young turtles—they are critical habitat for large adults gathering to mate and nest. What should be a place of safety has become a high-risk corridor.

Please slow down, stay vigilant, and watch for sea turtles at the surface. A few seconds of awareness can save a life. ‼️⚠️