Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center

08/29/2026

Have you ever wondered what a sea turtle nest looks like under the sand or how little hatchlings make their way to the surface? This week welcomed our newest exhibit to show you just that: a *very* lifelike nest diorama! It was handmade by artist Raymond Rawls from Gainesville, Florida. Thank you to our many supporters and to Mr. Rawls for this incredibly helpful tool to teach our visitors about the hatching and emergence process!

07/22/2026

We are often asked by our visitors, How can we help? Our Amazon Wishlist is a perfect option to support The Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center. This is a great way to help us even if you are unable to visit us in person. Thank you for your contributions to our mission🐢

Https://a.co/05eHRRBT

07/01/2026

July Turtle of the Month 🇺🇸🐢

Louise is an Ornate Diamondback Terrapin native to brackish water salt marshes. They live here in St. Joseph Bay! Louise came to us from a Florida researcher who found her nest dug up by a predator. He incubated her egg, hatched and raised her, and eventually donated her to the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center. Now, she is an ambassador of her species!

Diamondback Terrapins have a thick crush plate to eat small crustaceans and mollusks. In some areas, they aid in the in population control of the overabundant Periwinkle Snail.🐚

Come visit Louise and our other turtle ambassadors at the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center!

06/23/2026

Our nesting season is going strong with so many momma turtles coming ashore nightly! Did you know you can adopt or sponsor a nest to help support our sea turtles?

🐢Adoptions are $50 and include a personalized sign on your nest.
🐢 Sponsorships are $25 and are a shared nest with other sponsoring families.

Once your nest is assigned we will send a photo of your nest along with an adoption or sponsorship certificate.
At the end of the season we will send an update with your nest results and results of the season overall.

They make a great gift for those who have everything, AND they support our local sea turtle conservation efforts!

Visit us online at https://floridacc.org/ways-to-help/ or at the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center to adopt or sponsor!

06/01/2026

Happy June! Introducing our Turtle of the Month!

Stone is a red-eared slider native to the Mississippi Valley from Illinois extending to the Gulf. However, due to the pet trade, they are overabundant and even invasive to much of the southeast.

In the wild, red-eared sliders hunt fish, frogs, and other small creatures that dwell in the water. They will occasionally munch on leafy greens or algae.

Here at the Center, Stone gets a taste of the wild! She loves to hunt minnows that we add to her tank. In animal husbandry terms, this is called enrichment - mental and physical stimulation that encourages natural behavior.

Come visit Stone and her Testudine family at the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center!

05/25/2026

05/11/2026

While serving on detachment at Tyndall Air Force Base, Squadron VAQ-209 Sailors from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington State took time out of their busy schedule to perform some community service at the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center in Port St. Joe. They assisted with a variety of projects to aid our resident turtle ambassadors and improve our facility. We extend our greatest thanks to this wonderful group for their service!

05/01/2026

Introducing our Turtle of the Month:

Ray for May!🍉🐢

Raylan (aka Ray) is an African Spurred Tortoise native to the African savannas. This species gets its name from the large scales on the front of their limbs and spurs on each thigh. They can weigh over 100 lbs and potentially live to be over 100 years old. This year, Raylan will be 14 years old but already weighs about 75 lbs!

Living in the plains, spurred tortoises mostly consume grasses. In captivity, Ray gets loads of hay, leafy greens, and veggies. He has fruit as an occasional treat! Red watermelon is one of his favorites.

Come visit the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center to see Raylan as well as learn about our sea turtle nesting season, which begins today!

04/20/2026

The Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center will be closed on Tuesday, April 21st. We will resume regular business hours on Wednesday, April 22nd.