Day 7, Part Two: The Seaturtle Hospital 🐢🏥

After our lunch at Sombrero Beach we were lucky enough to get an earlier tour of the Turtle Hospital! We stepped inside the mint green gift shop and discovered authentic replicas of sea turtle shells on the wall. (With accurate sizes! They can be huge!) A seaturtle skeleton was encased next to some information about sea turtles. A TV showed a looped video about the history of the hospital. There were jewelry, hats, t-shirts, pins, keychains and more of seaturtles and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles :)

Our Tour Guide Karl was very informed and funny. He showed us a brief presentation about the different species of seaturtles, one that's been saved by the Hospital, and how they can be harmed in the ocean. Some turtles get strange tumors on their bodies from pollution. Others injure a fin from boats or develop Bubble Butt Syndrome, where a boat injuries their shell and pent up air develops under the shell. Turtles with Bubble Butt syndrome can never survive in the wild, so they stay at the Hospital and receive excellent care for the rest of their lives. The Hospital abides by the three R's: Rescue, Rehab, Release.

We saw the surgical room where a stuffed turtle lay on the operating table, meant to be something familiar to the turtles who need surgery. We went out back and saw iguanas nearby, and several tanks that seaturtles were living in. Some of them had their name written on their shell: Crush, Sally, Larry, Mac, Cheese, Rocky, Popcorn, Reagan and so many more cute names. Some were adults and some were juveniles... we saw one little baby! Some of the turtles were sensitive and didn't like looking at humans so parts of their tanks were covered. Some turtles were very sleepy and stayed beneath the surface. Others were quite playful and splashed the water with their fins. Most of them did poke their heads out of the water sometimes!

We made our way out to a huge pool that various fish and seaturtles were living in. We had the opportunity to feed the turtles. It was so sweet! The turtles were happy and all moving around trying to get as much food as possible. I loved observing how they expelled water out of their noses when they came up to the surface. 

The Turtle Hospital was a great place and it was a relief to see such vulnerable creatures happy and being provided great care.