Florida Keys Turtle Rescue: How the Keys Are Saving Sea Turtles

Few animals are as closely connected to the waters of the Florida Keys as the sea turtle. Green sea turtles glide across seagrass beds, loggerheads return to beaches to nest, and hawksbills can be spotted around the coral reef. But life in one of Florida's busiest marine environments also exposes these ancient reptiles to fishing gear, boat strikes, marine debris, disease and other threats.

That is why Florida Keys turtle rescue has become an important part of the region's conservation story.

At the center of those efforts is The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, a working veterinary hospital that has spent four decades rescuing, rehabilitating and returning injured sea turtles to the ocean. But turtle conservation in the Keys extends far beyond one facility. Volunteers monitor nests before sunrise, government agencies protect critical habitats, researchers track released turtles by satellite and organizations throughout the island chain educate visitors about how their actions can make a difference.

What Is Florida Keys Turtle Rescue?

Florida Keys turtle rescue refers to the network of veterinarians, wildlife responders, conservation organizations, volunteers and government agencies working to rescue injured or sick sea turtles, rehabilitate them, protect nesting habitat and return healthy turtles to the wild.

If you are searching for a place to see these efforts firsthand, The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, is the best-known sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facility in the Keys. The nonprofit operates as a fully functioning veterinary hospital for sick and injured turtles while also conducting research, education and public outreach.

Florida's larger sea turtle response system is coordinated in part through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC. Its Sea Turtle Program oversees conservation and research efforts and coordinates the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, which helps respond when sick, injured or dead turtles are reported.

The History of Turtle Rescue in the Florida Keys

The story of modern sea turtle rescue in the Florida Keys begins in Marathon.

The Turtle Hospital opened in 1986 after founder Richie Moretti transformed part of the former Hidden Harbor Motel property into a rehabilitation facility for endangered sea turtles. What began as an unusual combination of motel, saltwater pool and wildlife education center developed into the world's first licensed veterinary hospital dedicated specifically to sea turtles.

In 2026, The Turtle Hospital celebrated its 40th anniversary. According to the Florida Keys tourism council, the hospital has treated and released more than 3,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles during its first four decades.

Today, the original Hidden Harbor property still forms part of the hospital campus. Its mission remains centered around four goals: rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick and injured turtles; educating the public; supporting sea turtle research; and advocating for cleaner, safer beaches and oceans.

It is a uniquely Florida Keys story—and one that has helped make Marathon synonymous with turtle conservation.

What Happens During a Sea Turtle Rescue?

A Florida Keys sea turtle rescue can begin with something as simple as a phone call from a fisherman, boater, beachgoer or wildlife officer who notices an animal in distress.

Sea turtles can require treatment for a variety of problems, including entanglement in fishing line, swallowed hooks, marine debris, injuries from boat strikes and fibropapillomatosis, a disease that causes tumors and is frequently treated at rehabilitation facilities such as The Turtle Hospital.

After rescue, a turtle may undergo veterinary examinations, surgery, medication and an extended period of rehabilitation. Once the animal is strong enough to survive independently, the ultimate goal is exactly what The Turtle Hospital's motto promises: rescue, rehab, release.

Some releases become community events. Sombrero Beach in Marathon has hosted numerous returns to the ocean, including satellite-tagged turtles participating in the Sea Turtle Conservancy's Tour de Turtles research program. In July 2026, a rehabilitated juvenile green turtle named Girl Power was released there with a satellite transmitter so researchers and the public could follow her migration after rehabilitation.

Where to Learn About Sea Turtle Rescue and Conservation in the Florida Keys

1. The Turtle Hospital — Marathon

For anyone searching “Florida Keys turtle rescue” or “Turtle Hospital Marathon,” this is the essential stop.

Located at 2396 Overseas Highway at Mile Marker 48.5, The Turtle Hospital is an active veterinary and rehabilitation facility rather than simply an aquarium exhibit. Educational programs give visitors an opportunity to learn about current patients, rehabilitation methods and the threats facing wild sea turtles.

Because it remains a working hospital, check current program availability and reservations before your visit.

2. Sombrero Beach — Marathon

Just a short drive from The Turtle Hospital, Sombrero Beach connects visitors directly with another side of Florida Keys sea turtle conservation.

The beach is an active sea turtle nesting area, primarily for loggerheads, with nesting activity occurring during the warmer months. The City of Marathon restricts certain activities around established nests to protect nesting turtles and hatchlings.

Sombrero Beach has also become a memorable setting for public releases of turtles rehabilitated at The Turtle Hospital.

If you encounter a marked nest, admire it from a distance and never disturb ropes, stakes or sand surrounding the area.

3. Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys

Some of the most important conservation work happens before most visitors have even finished their morning coffee.

Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys is a volunteer-run organization whose permitted volunteers patrol beaches during nesting season, locate and mark nests, monitor them through hatching and collect data after nests hatch. That information contributes to Florida's broader sea turtle conservation and monitoring programs.

The organization also assists with education, cleanups and response efforts involving stranded or injured turtles.

For travelers, supporting organizations like Save-A-Turtle is an easy way to turn a Florida Keys vacation into something that helps protect the ecosystem you've come to experience.

4. Bahia Honda State Park — Lower Florida Keys

Bahia Honda State Park is not a rehabilitation hospital, but it plays an important role in protecting the habitat sea turtles need.

The park is one of the Florida Keys locations where endangered sea turtles nest, making responsible beach management particularly important during nesting season.

A visit offers an opportunity to understand that turtle conservation is not only about rescuing an injured animal. It is also about keeping beaches dark, clean and undisturbed enough for the next generation of turtles to reach the ocean.

5. Key West Aquarium — Key West

Farther south, the Key West Aquarium helps introduce visitors to sea turtle conservation through resident turtles that cannot survive on their own in the wild.

These non-releasable turtles serve as conservation ambassadors, allowing the aquarium to educate visitors about the threats facing wild sea turtle populations and actions people can take to protect them.

For families traveling all the way to Key West, it can be another useful stop in a Florida Keys wildlife itinerary.

Protecting Turtles Beyond the Rescue Center

Successful sea turtle conservation requires much more than emergency veterinary care.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects an enormous marine ecosystem encompassing coral reefs, seagrass beds and other habitats used by sea turtles. NOAA research and enforcement programs within the sanctuary help protect turtles from human-caused impacts and provide scientists with information used to guide conservation decisions.

The Key West National Wildlife Refuge and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge also protect important nesting and foraging habitat. Loggerhead, green and hawksbill sea turtles are among the species documented using these protected areas.

Together, hospitals, nonprofits, researchers, wildlife officers, volunteers and protected areas create a conservation network stretching throughout the Florida Keys.

Why Sea Turtles Need Our Help

Sea turtles have survived extraordinary changes to the planet, but today's threats increasingly come from human activity.

Fishing line and discarded gear can entangle turtles. Hooks can be swallowed. Marine debris may be mistaken for food. Boat collisions can cause serious shell injuries. On nesting beaches, artificial lighting can disorient both nesting females and hatchlings attempting to reach the water.

That means some of the most effective conservation practices are also remarkably simple.

How Visitors Can Help Protect Florida Keys Sea Turtles

While visiting the Keys:

• Keep your distance from nesting turtles and hatchlings, and never touch or attempt to move them.
• Keep beachfront lights off or minimized at night during nesting season because artificial lighting can disorient turtles.
• Never disturb, dig into or alter a marked sea turtle nest.
• Dispose of fishing line, hooks, plastic and other trash properly so it cannot enter the marine environment.
• Leave hatchlings to crawl toward the ocean on their own rather than carrying them to the water.
• Support local conservation organizations, educational programs and responsible wildlife experiences.
• If you see a sick, injured, stranded or dead sea turtle, contact wildlife professionals instead of attempting a rescue yourself.

What Should You Do If You Find an Injured Sea Turtle in the Florida Keys?

Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).

FWC asks the public to report sick, injured or dead sea turtles so authorized and trained responders can assess the situation and arrange rescue or transport when necessary.

Do not attempt to push a stranded turtle back into the water or transport it yourself unless instructed to do so by authorized wildlife responders.

Sea Turtle Nesting Season in the Florida Keys

Sea turtle activity becomes especially visible during the warmer months. In Marathon, local officials identify the nesting period as running from mid-April through October, while Sombrero Beach commonly sees loggerhead nesting activity throughout that period.

Visitors traveling during nesting season may encounter marked nests on beaches throughout the Keys. Those small roped-off patches of sand represent months of monitoring and an important link in the survival of Florida's sea turtle populations.

Seeing one is a reminder that Florida Keys turtle rescue doesn't begin when an injured turtle reaches a hospital—it begins with protecting the habitat turtles depend on in the first place.

Make Turtle Conservation Part of Your Florida Keys Getaway

One of the best parts of visiting the Florida Keys is discovering that the destination's remarkable wildlife is not simply something to look at. It is something local communities have spent decades working to protect.

From the rehabilitation tanks of The Turtle Hospital in Marathon to volunteer nest patrols, protected beaches and the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, sea turtle conservation is woven into life throughout the islands.

When you stay at Hadley Resort + Marina in Islamorada, you are well positioned to make that conservation story part of your Florida Keys adventure. Head south along the Overseas Highway for a visit to The Turtle Hospital, explore the protected marine environments surrounding the Keys and return to Islamorada with a new appreciation for the wildlife sharing these waters.

Because in the Florida Keys, paradise is about more than enjoying the ocean. It is also about helping protect what lives beneath the surface.

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Florida Keys Turtle Rescue FAQs

Where is The Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys?

The Turtle Hospital is located at 2396 Overseas Highway, Mile Marker 48.5, in Marathon, Florida. It is a working veterinary hospital dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles.

Can tourists visit The Turtle Hospital in Marathon?

Yes. The hospital offers educational visitor programs that provide a look at its rehabilitation work and resident patients. Check the hospital's current schedule and reservation availability before visiting.

Are there sea turtles in the Florida Keys?

Yes. Sea turtles use Florida Keys reefs, shallow waters and beaches for feeding and nesting. Loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles are among the species documented in protected Keys habitats.

Where can I see sea turtle conservation in the Florida Keys?

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon is the area's leading rehabilitation destination. Visitors can also learn about conservation at Key West Aquarium and explore protected nesting habitat at places such as Sombrero Beach and Bahia Honda State Park.

Who rescues injured sea turtles in the Florida Keys?

The Turtle Hospital conducts rescue and rehabilitation in the Keys, while FWC coordinates Florida's sea turtle stranding response network with authorized wildlife responders and rehabilitation facilities.

What number should I call for an injured sea turtle in Florida?

Call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).