Sea turtles have existed for over 150 million years, and in just the past 100 years, six of the seven existing species have become federally listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Five of those species, the green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback and loggerhead can be found in Florida. Out of these, the three species featured here nest on Florida’s beaches and in the Refuge in numbers seen nowhere else in the country.
If you want to see a sea turtle in Florida, you can attend one of the permitted public turtle walks, a public hatchling release, or a nest hatch success evaluation. You can also visit a facility that houses or rehabilitates sea turtles.
These activities are conducted by FWC’s Marine Turtle Permit Holders (MTPH). They first present an interpretive program on marine turtle biology and conservation issues at an off-beach location. For turtle walks and hatchling releases you are then lead to the beach to observe a nesting loggerhead turtle depositing eggs or observe the release of hatchlings (both activities occur at night).
Public hatch success evaluations, conducted by MTPH’s, are done after the sea turtle nest has hatched. A hatch success evaluation involves the excavation and inventory of a marked nest to determine the fate of each egg. Occasionally, live hatchlings are recovered from the nest and released at a later date if deemed necessary.
For a closer look at sea turtles, please visit one of the state-permitted facilities below that house or rehabilitate sea turtles. Many facilities conduct educational tours involving captive turtles. Please note that admission fees may be charged.
Disney Vero Beach Resort
Vero Beach, 32963
407-WDW-TOUR
Coastal Connections (Website)
1006 Beachland Blvd
Vero Beach, FL 32963
772-226-0133
Friends of the Carr Refuge (Website)
Barrier Island Center
Vero Beach, FL, 32963
Sebastian Inlet State Park (Website)
c/o McLarty Treasure Museum
13180 North A1A
Vero Beach, FL 32963
772-589-2147
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