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Turtle Hospital

Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has admitted more than 650 sick and injured sea turtles since 1995. We have treated all five species found in the Gulf of Mexico, including turtles that were sickened during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Mote has one of the few hospitals in Florida with special facilities and training to care for turtles suffering from fibropapilloma tumors. Because scientists are still learning how this disease is transmitted among turtles, we must provide a separate facility just for animals with these tumors. 

We aim to help all our turtle patients return to the wild and contribute to their populations for years to come. This matters greatly: All sea turtle species are threatened or endangered.

We are also extremely grateful to the Sea Turtle Grants Program of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. They have awarded more than two dozen grants to Mote over the years, including for our Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and for our conservation and research efforts with sea turtles in the wild. Most recently, we received a grant to increase the efficiency of our heater-chiller loop to help us maintain our constant state of readiness. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded by proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at: helpingseaturtles.org