This morning we were very happy to see that former Turtle Hospital employee, Donna, was dropping by for a visit. We got even more excited when we found out that she had brought along a friend—a freshly hatched Loggerhead sea turtle. Donna now volunteers for Save-A-Turtle, a FL Keys non-profit organization also dedicated to protecting sea turtles. One of the many things Save-A-Turtle volunteers do is walk the beaches every morning around 5:30 am to look for nesting activity. This morning Donna found that many hatchlings had made it safely to the water but one had gotten tangled up in roots and was exhausted. Hatchlings normally crawl to sea during night time to avoid predators. Donna did a great job getting the little turtle to us before a crab or bird got to him.

Donna and “Itty Bitty”:

Soon after Kiri from Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada gave the stranding hotline a call to let us know  a hatchling had blown into their active marina in a big mass of seaweed. The poor little guy must have gotten blown in during strong winds and he too was exhausted. For a couple of weeks these hatchlings will be with us to give them a little boost of energy and plenty of food. Then, staff will give them a boat ride 30 miles offshore into Sargassum seaweed patches in the Gulf Stream where they will catch up with their brothers and sisters.

Kiri with her rescue at Robbie’s:

Thanks to Donna, Kiri, and the staff at Robbie’s Marina!