Gulfarium CARE Center

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Gulfarium CARE Center

Our mission is to act as a beacon for coastal conservation through marine animal rescue and rehab. Welcome to Gulfarium's official C.A.R.E. Center page!

It is our mission to act as a beacon for coastal conservation through marine animal rescue and rehabilitation, encouraging awareness with public education and opportunities for active participation. We hope you become inspired to celebrate marine life, share our stories, and join us to help make a difference.

09/04/2026

🐢 Toad Update!

Toad continues to recover well at the Gulfarium CARE Center, and we’re happy to report that his feisty personality is still going strong!

Right now, our team is continuing to treat ulcers on the bottom of his shell using a combination of honey and beeswax. Honey has natural antimicrobial and healing properties, making it a turtle-safe option to support the healing process, while the beeswax helps keep the honey right where it needs to be.

Toad still has some healing ahead of him, but he continues to make great progress under the care of our team. 💙🐢

09/02/2026

For this week’s , we’re highlighting something our C.A.R.E. Center can’t do without: Filter caps! 💦 Our volunteers may have gotten a little creative with their filters, but these are the kind of filter caps we actually need!

While they may not be the most glamorous part of turtle care, filter caps are an important part of keeping our life support systems running smoothly and our patients’ water clean and healthy. These filter caps and LOTS more can be purchased through our Amazon Wishlist to help keep the Center running at max CAPacity 😉

Want to help us keep things flowing? Click this link: https://a.co/060sVcWA or check out the link in our bio to visit our Amazon Wishlist! Every donation helps us provide the best possible care for the turtles who come through our doors. 💙🐢

09/01/2026

🌊 Happy World Beach Day! 🐢

Keeping our beaches sea turtle-friendly is something we can all be a part of. A few easy things can help nesting turtles and hatchlings stay safe:

✨ Fill in holes
🏰 Knock down sandcastles
🪑 Pack up chairs, toys & umbrellas
🗑️ Take trash and fishing line with you
🌙 Keep beachfront lights low at night
🐢 Give turtles and nests plenty of space

At the Gulfarium CARE Center, we see firsthand just how important a healthy, safe coastline is for sea turtles. 💙 Help us give them a cleaner, clearer path from the sand to the sea.

08/28/2026

🐢 Meet Rex!

Rex is an 12-pound juvenile green sea turtle who arrived at the Gulfarium CARE Center on August 12 after being found lethargic at Norriego Point by our stranding team.

At intake, Rex had a fishing hook hanging from his mouth with fishing line extending through his digestive tract and out of his cloaca. The hook and fishing line have since been successfully removed, and Rex is currently in treatment receiving supportive care, including fluids, vitamins, and antibiotics.

We’ll continue to share updates as Rex recovers at the Gulfarium CARE Center. 💙

08/26/2026

🐢 Meet Bowtie!

Bowtie is a 55-pound subadult Kemp’s ridley who arrived at the Gulfarium CARE Center on July 18 after being accidentally hooked in the right shoulder at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier. Our team also found an additional hook on Bowtie’s plastron, along with a healed amputation injury on the right front flipper.

Bowtie was lethargic upon arrival and is currently in treatment, receiving supportive care including fluids and vitamins B and C.

We’ll continue to share updates as Bowtie recovers at the CARE Center. 💙

08/25/2026

🐢 Meet Hamm!

Hamm is a 114-pound subadult loggerhead who arrived at the Gulfarium CARE Center on August 19 after being accidentally hooked at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier.

Upon intake, our team found one external hook along with eight internal hooks that needed to be removed. The following day, Hamm underwent an endoscopy, and our veterinary team was successfully able to remove all eight internal hooks.

Hamm is currently in treatment and continuing to receive supportive care, including fluids and vitamins, as he recovers. 💙

We’ll continue to share updates on Hamm’s progress as he works toward returning to the Gulf!

08/24/2026

🌟 : Meet Sam! 🌟

If you've spent any time around the C.A.R.E. Center over the last two years, chances are you've met Sam! As one of our dedicated Monday volunteers, she's always willing to jump in and lend a hand and if you ever need a shift covered, Sam is probably already on her way. In fact, her incredible dedication earned her the distinction of having the most volunteer hours during the 2025 season! 💙

Having lived by the ocean for most of her life, Sam joined the C.A.R.E. Center because she wanted to take an active role in protecting and conserving endangered sea turtles. When she's not volunteering, she enjoys reading, practicing sustainability, spending time with her partner and their three dogs, cat, and bird, and dreaming of future travels around the world.

Some fun facts: Sam's favorite flower is the plumeria, her favorite dinosaur is the Triceratops, and one of her favorite C.A.R.E. Center memories was being part of Landry's release! 🐢🌺🦖

Thank you, Sam, for your dedication, flexibility, and passion for conservation!

08/21/2026

💚 Two turtles, two journeys, and two very special releases! 🌊🐢

🌿 After being introduced back in July, Renoir made great strides in his recovery journey! This 10-pound juvenile green sea turtle who arrived at the C.A.R.E. Center in May after being accidentally hooked at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier has finally been released. Additional bloodwork during Renoir's rehab revealed an elevated white blood cell count, so Renoir needed a little extra time at the C.A.R.E. Center. After a course of antibiotics, plenty of rest, and lots of TLC, Renoir was medically cleared and is officially back in the Gulf!

🌊 Along with Renoir, we were incredibly excited to release Libby after a successful rehab stay! Weighing in at 70 pounds, Libby is a beautiful adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle who came to us in early July after being accidentally hooked in Panama City Beach. As an adult female of the most endangered sea turtle species, Libby is especially important, and we were thrilled to see her make such a smooth recovery. Libby received fluids, vitamins, antibiotics, and supportive care while she recovered from her injuries. Before long, she was eating well, looking strong, and medically cleared for release. After some time in rehab, this girl was finally headed back to the Gulf where she belongs! 🌊

Safe travels, Renoir and Libby! May the rest of your journeys be wild, healthy, and hook-free! ✨🐢

08/19/2026

From just a few grams... to over 250 pounds. 🐢💚

It's hard to believe that every adult loggerhead sea turtle starts out this small. The tiny hatchling in this photo could one day grow into a massive adult like the 250-pound female below, but only if it survives the many challenges it faces along the way. In fact, only about 1 in every 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. That's why every nest, every hatchling, and every conservation effort matters.

With hatchling season upon us, we can all do our part to give these turtles the best possible chance at reaching adulthood:

🌙 If you're enjoying a nighttime walk on the beach, keep voices low and avoid disturbing nesting turtles.
🔴 Use only red lights instead of white flashlights, which can disorient both nesting mothers and emerging hatchlings.
🏖️ Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before you leave so hatchlings don't become trapped on their journey to the Gulf.
🪑 Remove beach chairs, umbrellas, tents, and other gear at the end of your beach day to keep the beach clear for nesting turtles and hatchlings.

The journey from hatchling to adult can take decades, and for the few that beat the odds, they'll return to our beaches to nest and continue the cycle all over again. Every simple action we take on the beach helps give these incredible animals a better chance to grow from just a few grams into the giants that continue the next generation.

Thank you for helping us keep our beaches sea turtle friendly! 💙🐢

08/14/2026

Our Stranding Coordinator, Sarah, recently had the opportunity to join the FSU Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group in Crystal River to assist with field research and sea turtle tagging!

While rehabilitation allows us to care for turtles in immediate need, field research helps us understand the bigger picture. Collecting data and tagging turtles allows researchers to track movements, identify important habitats and foraging areas, better understand threats, and learn more about sea turtle populations over time.

The connection between field research and rehabilitation is incredibly important. Every turtle we encounter, whether in the field or in our rehabilitation center, helps contribute to what we know about these amazing animals. The more we learn, the better equipped we are to protect them.

We’re grateful for opportunities like this that allow our team to step outside the rehabilitation center and contribute to the research that helps shape sea turtle conservation! A huge thank you to the FSU Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group for welcoming Sarah into the field and for all the incredible work you do for sea turtle research and conservation! 💙🐢

Address

1010 Miracle Strip Parkway SE
Fort Walton Beach, FL
32548

Telephone

850-243-9046

Website

https://gulfarium.com/carecenter/

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