Florida Keys: Marathon – The Turtle Hospital

At the start of our tour, we got a presentation on the hospital, an overview of sea turtles (what they eat, where they live etc) and the background to some of the residents. After this we were taken through the treatment rooms and are shown some of the equipment. Of most interest was the x-rays shots of some turtles showing clearly fish hooks, cigarette butts lodged deep inside these poor creatures. Fortunately, their digestive tracks seem to be hardy and in most cases it was possible for the veterinarian to remove the offending items by surgery or through the use of natural lubricants. The final part of the tour, and what had, of course, had come to see the turtles themselves. The hospital itself was once a small holiday resort that had a large saltwater tank filled from the sea, which was used to exhibit local fish. This tank is now home to 20 or so large sea turtles, many of which will never return to the wild … so this is home. Many of these poor creatures had lost fins or been hit by boats. One condition suffered by these boat struck turtles is called “bubble butt”, where the air has been forced into their shell as a result of the accident. The main result of bubble butt is that it affects the buoyancy of the turtles and they can’t dive under effectively – making them easy targets for predators like sharks. The solution in part is to put weights onto the shells but this would not work for them if returned to the wild. In addition to the turtles in the big tanks, there are several smaller tanks around containing single turtles who are undergoing treatment – these eventually will be either transferred to the larger pools or sent back to the wild.