About

Caring for sick and injured sea turtles has been a mission of the Aquarium for many years. With the help of our dedicated husbandry staff and the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) volunteers, many sea turtles are successfully rehabilitated and returned back into the wild each year. This work was previously done behind the scenes, in a small facility with five tanks which could hold a maximum of 12-15 small turtles. During the winter, when there is an influx of sick sea turtles from cold-stunning (extreme hypothermia), space quickly runs out. It was decided that a new facility was needed which could better help us help them.

The STAR Center is a 3,000 square-foot expansion, allowing staff and volunteers to maintain an excellent level of care for the sick and ailing turtles. The facility houses eight tanks and has floor space for portable tanks which can hold up to 25 small turtles. This space along with an examination room, food prep areas and storage greatly improved upon the original rehab center. The turtles are fed depending on their individual needs, with some eating live blue crabs or sea grass. Visitors to the Center have the opportunity to see our turtle patients through viewing windows on the tanks and hear their recovery stories from the people who help them every day.