General Frequently Asked Questions

What type of animal do you treat at LMC?
At LMC, we treat sick and injured sea turtles. While there are other kinds of turtles, such as land tortoises or freshwater turtles, our hospital specializes only in the treatment of sea turtles.

How many types of sea turtle are there in the world?
There are seven species of sea turtles in the world! The species are as follows: leatherback, green, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, and Australian flatback. Follow this link to learn more about each species!

How do the sea turtle patients get their names?
The names we use are thought up by various means. Some are named after historic figures or holidays, others may be named by the turtle’s rescuer, a generous donor, a staff member, or volunteer.

Do you keep any sea turtles here permanently, or have any "resident" patients?
The patients admitted to The Sea Turtle Hospital at LMC follow a "Rescue-to-Release" protocol. This means that all patients admitted are taken through a treatment and rehabilitation process that aims for their recovery and eventual release back into the wild! We do not keep any patients here permanently. However, if our veterinary staff determines that a patient does not have the ability to be released back into the wild based on its condition, we will make arrangements for the animal to be transferred to another facility that hosts resident animals.

What do the sea turtle patients eat and when do we feed them?
We typically feed fish, squid, lobster, lettuce and green peppers to our sea turtle patients. We feed once in the morning and once in the afternoon, except for the hatchlings, which we try to feed three times a day. If our patients require oral medication, we can put those in their food as well.

Why do the sea turtles have to be separated in their tanks?
At our facility, the sea turtles are medical patients and each patient requires different care regimens and treatments, so it is best to keep them separated - similar to how patients in a human hospital may share a room but have separate hospital beds. In addition, sea turtles in the wild are considered to be solitary rather than social animals, therefore we provide them their own space while they are in our care.

Why can't we touch the sea turtles?
It is unlawful to touch, handle, or otherwise harass sea turtles. The sea turtle is an endangered species that is protected by state and federal regulations. As a rehabilitation facility, our trained hospital staff and volunteers are permitted to properly handle the sea turtle patients for the purposes of treatment and rehabilitation only. In the wild, it is unlawful to touch or otherwise harass a sea turtle and it is best practice to view wildlife from 150 feet or greater in distance.

How often do sea turtles need to breathe?
With sea turtles, the frequency of breathing can depend on size, medical condition, and activity level - for example, the larger turtles can typically spend more time underwater than the smaller ones, and a turtle that is more highly active will need to breathe more frequently.

What is the biggest predator for sea turtles?
As sea turtles grow in size, their predators change. The eggs of sea turtles can be a meal for foxes, raccoons, crabs, and other small carnivores. As hatchlings, their predators include birds, rodents and small carnivores, insects, and fish. As they grow into adults, their biggest natural predators are sharks. They also face threats from human impacts, both intentional and unintentional. Humans illegally harvest sea turtles for their meat, flippers and shells - called poaching. Many sea turtles are also impacted by unintentional commercial fishing techniques, and ever-developing coastlines disrupt nesting and hatch success.

How many sea turtle hatchlings reach adulthood?
It is hard to know for sure, but researchers estimate that approximately 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 eggs produce hatchlings that reach adulthood.

How old do sea turtles get?
The age of a sea turtle is an estimate based on the size of an animal, and it can vary between species. Researchers estimate that sea turtles can live to be over 80-100 years old!

In March of 2021, The Sea Turtle Hospital at LMC received the oldest and largest loggerhead patient that it had ever treated. Olmec, an adult male loggerhead sea turtle weighed over 358 pounds. Although we do not know the exact age, from the size of the turtle it was estimated that he was over 100 years old. Olmec underwent extensive, 24/7 medical therapy for pneumonia and a systemic infection but unfortunately passed overnight in our care. Treating Olmec has given our veterinary team significant insight into the largely unknown fields of geriatric sea turtle medicine and hospice care. It was truly an honor to treat this very old member of this ancient species.

Why do we have to turn off lights along the beach for the sea turtles?
Artificial lighting disrupts the nesting process of female sea turtles, and is one of the biggest threats for emerging hatchlings. Both hatchlings and nesting sea turtles rely on natural lighting such as moonlight to navigate their surroundings and find their way to the ocean, and artificial lighting can result in the turtles becoming disoriented. Disoriented hatchlings can fall victim to dehydration, loss of energy, and predation. By turning off lights at night, closing curtains, and avoiding any activity on the beach at night, you can help nesting turtles and hatchlings!