In addition to the 18 turtles currently undergoing rehabilitation, The Turtle Hospital houses 11 “permanent resident” turtles that have been deemed non-releasable. For several different reasons, these turtles have a permanent injuries proving too severe for survival in the wild. Just like we go to the doctor for check-ups, the permanent residents are pulled from the pool once a year for their annual physical.

Montel backs into the hospital on a golf cart

Turtle physical exams include radiographs, photographs, blood draws, weights, measurements, fibropapilloma regrowth checks, and a look into their medical history to make sure they are up to date with medications. Then they’re back out to the main pool!

Montel was first up this morning and he did not want to cooperate. If only he knew that these check-ups are good for him! We learned that Montel has grown quite a bit since his rescue in 2001, now weighing in at a healthy 180lbs! Montel had several injuries in the wild including an entanglement, a predator attack, fibropapillomatosis, and even a boat strike!

Montel, April, Bubble Butt, Bender, and Rebel are our 5 turtles that you can ‘adopt’! To learn more about them and this cool way to help sea turtles click here: Adoption Program