Hatchlings

Disoriented hatchlings can be placed in the 24 hour drop-off cooler located outside of the front entrance to the Center.

Hatchlings that come to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center did not make it out to the open ocean when they hatched. This is caused by multiple factors. Some of our turtles were simply too weak to make it to the ocean or beyond the point of the wave break. Others were attacked by fire ants or other local wildlife, or some go in the wrong direction. Rather than go towards the ocean (which is the brightest, lowest horizon) they head towards the dunes and road because of lights coming from that direction. Our Hatchlings are held here for about 1-2 weeks. When the Hatchlings are ready for release, they are taken by boat to the Sargassum patches about 10-15 miles out in the ocean.