The Turtle Hospital is located in Marathon, Florida (in the heart of the Florida Keys) on Overseas highway at mile marker 48.5, Bayside.

2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050

The Turtle Hospital

The Turtle Hospital opened its doors 1986 with four main goals: 1) rehab injured sea turtles and return them to their natural habitat, 2) educate the public through outreach programs and visit local schools, 3) conduct and assist with research aiding to sea turtles (in conjunction with state universities), and 4) work toward environmental legislation making 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 the public daily 7 days a week. Please call 305-743-2552 for further information and reservations.

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.

Rehabilitation

A variety of turtle ailments are treated at the Turtle Hospital 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, fishing line and/or hooks. The most common surgery performed is the removal of debilitating viral tumors, called Fibropapilloma, that affect over 50% of the sea turtles in the Keys and around the world.

Research

The Turtle Hospital and the University of Georgia College of Vet Medicine 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.

Release

The Turtle Hospital has successfully treated and released over 1500 Sea Turtles since its founding in 1986. The turtles are released in a variety of ways and at different locations depending on species. Greens are taken either to Pigeon Key via ambulance or they are taken to a spot 20 miles north of Marathon in the Florida Bay. Loggerheads are usually released at a local beach or launched off a boat into the gulf or ocean. Kemp’s Ridleys are taken 70 miles west of Key West out to the coral reefs of the Dry Tortugas.  Public releases will be announced in the blog and on our social media pages.