Sea Turtle, Inc.

Sea turtle rescue, hospital and residence/sanctuary on SPI … a great place to visit, especially for families. Kids of all ages will love the turtles! Mostly green sea turtles, which are native to the area. Most are in various stages of rehab to be released back into the ocean. But, there are a handful of permanent residents, several species, which cannot be released and are livin’ the life at the center. Complete hospital on site, with talented and entertaining staff and volunteers that make the place fun. Everywhere you turn… turtles! In the outer building, there are several tanks housing the large permanent residents, and various other sea life native to the waters nearby. Nice gift shop too! A very fun place to spend a couple of hours. Time your visit to hear one of the turtle talks in the outdoor auditorium… you’ll be glad you did! Highly recommend!

What a great experience we had here. I believe it was around $13-$15 a person to get in. They had a couple different talks that you could listen to about the turtles. Just check their schedule. We saw several different species of turtles and learned a lot about them and how the turtle Hospital helps them. They have a really good size gift shop. While you’re in that area, check out the big red turtle on the wall that was made out of trash that people left on the beach. I cannot say it enough… People pick up your trash! Although the turtle was beautiful, it just makes me sad that that many people leave their junk behind which could harm the turtles and other species. If you’re looking for something to do on a cloudy day and you cannot be on the beach, I would highly recommend giving them a visit.

I visited Sea Turtle Inc in South Padre Island and absolutely loved it! It was amazing to see the rescued turtles up close and learn about their recovery. The work they do to protect and rehabilitate sea turtles is truly inspiring. It’s definitely a must-visit if you’re in the area!

If you love sea turtles this is the place to visit. These poor creatures have been rescued from harrowing situations at sea. Here they are nursed back to health if possible from fishing nets and propeller strikes and frigid temperatures. These creatures are stunning to watch. Lots of great information given about the turtles. So much to learn.

What a wonderful organization. $15 to get in and you can see all the turtle tanks, information, and hospital. It was amazing to see all the work they’re doing. There’s a lot of staff walking around too to answer questions. There’s also a walkway to the hospital where you can see native birds, crabs, and maybe even an alligator. There’s also a gift shop with shirts, stickers, postcards, ornaments, and lots of other gifts. There’s also a penny crusher!

Unexpected amazing time!! This place makes you fall in love! Lily was so awesome and personable. She showed me around and taught me about what they do here. I appreciate the education. I love sea turtles! Thank you!

Everyone from one year old to 101 should visit and support. Beautifully done. Informative. Interactive. Interesting. I love the resident turtles - and cat - stories. Must do!

I absolutely loved the new hospital. The education is phenomenal. It fun warching them eat. The volunteers are so kind and informative and open to questions 😊 The stories of some of the residents will make you cry 😢 They are truly doing amazing work here. I hope to volunteer in the future. It is inspiring 🙌🏽 ✨️

Sea turtle rescue, hospital and residence/sanctuary on SPI ... a great place to visit, especially for families. Kids of all ages will love the turtles! Mostly green sea turtles, which are native to the area. Most are in various stages of rehab to be released back into the ocean. But, there are a handful of permanent residents, several species, which cannot be released and are livin' the life at the center. Complete hospital on site, with talented and entertaining staff and volunteers that make the place fun. Everywhere you turn... turtles! In the outer building, there are several tanks housing the large permanent residents, and various other sea life native to the waters nearby. Nice gift shop too! A very fun place to spend a couple of hours. Time your visit to hear one of the turtle talks in the outdoor auditorium... you'll be glad you did! Highly recommend!

Management, Please take a minute to review your surveillance tapes for the 3:30 PM feeding on the afternoon of July 26th, 2025. Shortly before the turtles were fed, one of your staff members yelled and scolded my spouse not to put her hand over the tank. This was not the case as my wife was trying to point to the turtles for our daughter. While I believe your staff member's intention was sound, your staff member lacked tact. You will also note that at the same time, this employee failed to correct anyone else in the surrounding area, which I find disturbing and made us feel uncomfortable by singling out my spouse. In your previous response to another guest, you made it a point to stand firmly on this policy for no guest hanging over the edge. This staff member would have corrected more guests and not singled out my wife if this were a true statement. Again, showing consistency amongst all visitors enforcing this policy would have been a more appropriate response to your paying guest. Before posting this review, I reviewed another similar complaint in which a staff member acted the same way towards that visitor. I also reviewed your staff page and did not see this person listed as a staff member on your website. I ask that you take this recommendation seriously. If this is the same staff member who made previous complaints, I kindly ask that they be retrained. If they are genuinely "ambassadors," then they should act according to your values. On a positive note, Anita Silvestro was very friendly and embodied an ambassador mentality in your organization. Your facility and its mission are amazing. I kindly ask that you take this review seriously and apply it as a learning opportunity to educate your staff members on positive and negative interactions with the public.

Sea Turtle, Inc. is such a fabulous non-profit organization in South Padre, TX. Ila Fox Loetscher, the woman who started this educational program and rehab work with sea turtles, is long gone now, but her legacy is thriving. I recommend checking in, then heading over to the amphitheater for a turtle talk. Admission prices were: $15 per adult, $10 per senior or military, $8 per student, and $5 per child (ages 5-11). After a turtle talk and checking out the large turtle tanks, take a break in the education center and gift shop especially if it's hot out. Then head onto the fairly swanky hospital and resident center. It's amazing! My daughters and I thought all of the adoption names were cute too! All of the staff members were kind, but also watchful of their precious residents - please be respectful & ensure that your children will follow the rules. During our visit on 5.29.2025, my favorite part was all of the tips and guidance on co-existing with these beautiful creatures. (Fill in holes on beach, knock down sand castles when done, learn how to reach out for help if a turtle might be in trouble, etc.) Works Cited https://seaturtleinc.org/

The staff member that took our money was a bit curt but the exhibits were well taken care of. There are two buildings and you have to walk down a boardwalk to get to the second one. There are windows to see into the hospital which was fun.

I loved my experience here! The cause is fantastic and every single volunteer was so friendly and had a wealth of knowledge, which really made my experience here extra great. I enjoyed seeing the initial room as well as hearing a turtle talk, visiting the education center, and seeing some of the turtles outside. Everyone here was passionate about saving the turtles and advocating for them. I would recommend this experience to everyone coming here for a great time while supporting an important cause. How can you not love supporting turtles

The Sea Turtle Sanctuary is amazing and full of amazing people. Absolutely love what they do and how they help out the community!

My first review of 2025! My goal is to write at least 25 reviews this year. Lets go! On a sibling vacation to south padre we looked up things to do and this came up. I love turtles and as a person with a B.S. this place got it right. It is very educational without it being overwhelming. They are a non profit so I did not feel bad buying some extra souvenirs to help them out. They also have a big need for volunteers and a lot of the volunteers actually run the center. If you ever find your way here ask them how to become a volunteer and discover the wonders of the sea turtle. They easy to get to, the parking lot is small so make sure you park where you are suppose to or they will tow. They are located next to the nature center so make it a two for one trip. I believe they have student and military discounts but i could be wrong. In the patio area they have holding tanks with turtles that have different 'disabilities' and if they were to be released back into the wild they would not be able to survive. They have an outdoor theatre where they host turtle talks to educate the public on different topics regarding the importance of conservation.

We visited Sea Turtle Inc midday today. It cost $45 for we three adults to tour the facility and all proceeds go toward the medical care of the turtles. The workers were attentive and answered any questions anyone had. The many tanks gave us great views of turtles in action or moving slowly depending upon their current recovery - some were very large and some were small. Lots of information on the care and recovery of these lovely creatures. It even told the story of the 2021 Texas ice storm that caused the facility to care for 4,300 turtles while they had no electricity! Amazing group of people doing great things for the many different turtles in their care. Facilities were well laid out and outside tanks are well shaded while indoor tanks are air conditioned. We had an excellent time! Highly recommend

Go here, every time you come. The mission is worth the contribution with admission and the experience is unforgettable. Never miss an opportunity to listen to the informative shows and change the way you do things.

another absolute MUST do when visiting south padre island. the nature center is split into two sections, their hospital and their residence. all of the turtles are so cute and the hospital is very informative. all the employees are super nice and eager to share their knowledge and what they offer.

I always love visiting this place! it's great to see the turtles up close and hear about the positive impact these volunteers are having on the sea turtles! admission is set at $10 a person which may be a bit steep but worth it for the cause! you enter through a room with a few informational posters then come back outside to see the tanks full of the rescued turtles! it's really amazing to see how massive they are up close. they also have a temporary hospital set up outside where the volunteers are eager to answer any of your questions. i think we were here for about 30 minutes, so if you are looking for a quick activity this could be it!

If you want an educational experience, go to this place. The fact that they have a hospital with state of the art equipment for the turtles is incredible. It was an enjoyable experience.

This was really such a great experience. My family got to learn more about sea turtles and support this nonprofit! We learned that sometimes it can take 15 years to find out if the sea turtle is a male or female (the case with Gerry who is a resident!). It all was very eye-opening. If you see any sea turtles eggs they said to call them so the eggs can be safely protected until they hatch.

They help the turtles. The turtle hospital helps get them back in the wild. We had fun seeing all of them.

Lots of turtles, we were there for the afternoon feeding. The hospital had several turtles being treated when we were there. Did the visitor center? Down the path where several more turtles are viewable and their gift shop. Highly recommended, I think young kids might enjoy this as well.

Non Profit founded by Isla Fox Loetscher from her back yard decades ago. Dedicated to saving all sea turtles. Illa was the first woman in Iowa to earn her pilots licence. A contemporary of Amelia Earhart she became a charter member of the Ninety Nines. In 1955 as a young widow she left New Jersey ending up in south Texas where her interest in saving sea turtles evolved. Today Sea Turtles Inc is an impressive organization instrumental in the continuing survival of these great creatures.

Very good educational experience about Sea Turtles. This attraction serves as a refuge for sea turtles unable to survive in their natural habitat. Also serves as a hospital for sea turtle that get caught in marsh or tangled in the bay. Enjoyed reading and seeing the turtles. We came on a special day when they were going to a private turtle release. So cool to know that a rehabilitated sea turtle would be placed back into the wild. Cool attraction for young and old.

We love sea turtles! What a great place to go! Cheap and proceeds go back to the turtles! Lots of turtles and education! Must go to place! Staff is very friendly, and plenty to do! About an hour to go through it!

Haven't been in a long time before my last visit and I got to say they have improved so much and now that they finished the expansion there is so much to see

I am not going to lie I was expecting to see a little bit more turtles but the experience was nice! We took our five year old and she enjoyed it! The cause they stand for is amazing too. They are doing Gods work by rescuing injured turtles and rehabilitating them. The adult tickets are 10$ each. And children 5-17 are 4$ each. We stayed for about an hour! It was hot (to be expected) so if you want to pack a hand held fan that would be great! They also have a gift shop to buy little turtles and have lots of educational information on the turtles that are rescued! They have a penny souvenir machine so take 2- quarters and a penny if you want one!

It was great to support a good cause, but I probably would recommend skipping this unless you love seat turtles. We went to the informative session that touched on what they do here at Sea Turtle Inc, which took place in an outdoor amphitheater. At Sea Turtle Inc, there were 4 or 5 big sea turtles inside, in all honestly, super dirty looking tanks along with some fish. The animal hospital also housed a number of small sea turtles. Overall, I think my expectations were a little high, and I expected to see more turtles in nicer conditions. If you're in the area, it might be worth the $10 to check the place out, but I wouldn't walk/uber here just for it!

Boring and a waste of time. This might be ok for little kids. There wasn't much to see or do.

My partner has been to the older shack location multiple times. This was both our first time at their new facility. It was such a great experience! What they're doing for the turtles is so inspiring. Love how passionate the staff is about saving the turtles. Don't forget to check out the hospital on your way out! We even saw an alligator in the water right next to them. Recommend watching the presentation the do every hour to fully understand the amazing work they do. Can't wait to go back!

We took the kids and had a great time. It's a pretty quick trip but it's cheap and worth it! The kids enjoyed it and it's non-profit so all funding goes to the sea turtles.

It was good filler for a rainy day, very informative on turtles and their habitat. The crew was happy to answer all questions, and assist with any problems you may have.

Use your noggin dude and make an educational stop between beach time and pool time. Learn about sea turtles and more while you tour their habitat while they recover from injury or hardships. The site features learning stations, turtle talk presentations and a rehabilitation center where they treat wounded sea turtles. Learn how you can help preserve their home, try some canned water or adopt a sea turtle and be sure to stop at the gift shop for your own take home sea turtle.

Great cause, wonderful atmosphere and informative. Make sure to listen to the talk given by the interns it's full of good information and they can answer your questions. Tour the new hospital this summer!

A must see while visiting SPI. Proceeds go for a good cause. Displays are nice and the large tanks with the rescued sea turtles have good visibility. The highlight for my family is always the sea turtles that are hospitalized and are recovering. It's always nice to visit and see that one of the turtles that you saw on your last trip has been released. We have a family membership and we go every time we come to SPI.

I am all about rescues. This place costs for admission and has a gift shop. Perfect for school field trips, outings with the kids, a quick stop on your way out of town, and a way to win over your date. ;) There is a quick walkthrough when you first enter the sanctuary where you can be introduced to several sea turtles who have been found stuck in some tough predicaments. Also, there is a window into the rehabilitation center. From there, take the boardwalk towards the info center and amphitheater. Inside, you can read neat facts about turtles and the program itself. Once you make your way through there, you can walk inside the tank area where you can watch adult turtles go about their sanctuary days. Finish the visit off with the gift shop and pick up a few cans of Still Water. Don't forget to drop extra change in the donation boxes to spread the love and keep the operation going.

It's been around since the 70's all thanks to ILA THE TURTLE LADY-and is a dedicated organization to help sea turtles... the have a hospital were they help injured sea turtles and later when the turtle is ready and able they release it back into the ocean. They also have some residential turtles that are there for a variety of reasons and can't be released.they rely on donations to help the many species of sea turtles they end up stranded on the local area's beaches or that are injured . It's a great organization and the people who dedicated their time to help educate others. They even have a few tortoises and a really big aquarium in the education building. You do pay for entry now but it's a small fee that many are more then happy to pay. Masks are required for ages 5 and up due to COVID when in the education building and while in the gift shop. Gift shop has a 10 person limit ..so expect a small wait if you want to shop.They also have website that you can read more about the organization and also visit the gift shop and purchase small items and they can mail them to you. They also have educational videos via their very own Facebook page. It's fun and educational.

Good value for an educational experience. Easy parking and the staff was helpful and supportive of the turtle experience

Great stop, very educational and informative The staff was very kind and patient with the crowds and their questions.

I'm all about turtles. As turtle is my nickname I had to visit. I love turtles. So I am in SPI I need to find things to do. We head on down to to Sea turtle inc. we check out all the turtles in the tanks that are in the road to recovery and that will be released again when they are back to a healthy status. We also visit the resident turtles that live at the facility. Including Allison the turtle that has a prosthetics. They also have a a speaker who goes over each kind of turtle and what has caused the population decrease. All in all pretty interesting.

This was a super cool spot we visited in South Padre. Admission is not bad at all and it goes towards a great cause. Their goal is to rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles. You get to see them up close and get all kinds interesting info from the volunteers there. It's a nice, quick stop away from the beach and a great way to help out. I would go again!

Great little place and very educational. Super eye opening learning about all the different turtles and how we can help. I'd say plan an hour or hour and a half. Not a huge place but doing a lot of good out there!

One of my #bucketlist places along with the SanPadreIslands!! Awesome place to support sea life with the whole family. This establishment literally helps to rescue sea turtles, that get injured by boats or other animals out at sea. They do have a HUGE parking lot and they can accommodate small and large groups. They do charge a fee for admission which goes toward helping rescue sea turtles. They have multiple sea turtles in separate tanks, so that they can recover from their injuries. I would visit them again and will recommend them to friends and family members.

Fun and informative stop on the Island. Great place to bring the kids to see some turtles and to learn about sea turtle rehabilitation efforts.

I feel like the pictures and reviews do not do this place justice. This is an incredible facility that is not only inspiring but also fun for all ages! My whole family learned so much on this trip. There were employees everywhere to answer your questions and help/give you more information. You could truly tell that everyone was "all in" in the cause, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Yes, the gift shop was pricey - but you know what your money is going towards. This is not a place to skip when you go to SPI!

I loved seeing the sea turtles at this place the presentation was very informative and fun.

$10 fee to enter for adult and highly worth the experience. My husband and I learned a lot from the volunteers in the sea turtle rehabilitation hospital. Reading the papers on each tank told the sea turtle patient's happenstance of how it was discovered and what injury it had, truly makes one connect with this species. We traveled to the back building via a boardwalk. In the back was huge tanks with very large sea turtles, a gift shop, educational museum small area and an amphitheater. We sat in the amphitheater for the 10 minute talk by educational staff, and yes, we learned even more. Highly recommend this experience. Then, do like us, as you walk the beach after your visit to Sea Turtle Inc.... Pick up the fishing lines, plastic straws and bottle tops and through in trash. Be apart of the change and help out when you can. Every little bit helps.

My son was so excited to go here. We were so happy that Sea Turtle, Inc was here to visit! It's nice to be able to support such a great cause! Thank you!!!

This was a great afternoon activity for our family. We learned a ton and our kids loved getting to see the resident turtles and the hospital. Friendly and knowledgeable staff made the experience even better.

What a bummer. The weather wasn't great during our visit. It was cool and in the 50's. They didn't tell us when we were paying that majority of the turtles were covered so you couldn't see them. We saw 4/5 that are in the tanks. The water was murky and the tanks are dark so it's hard to see, then there's only a couple small viewing windows to share with the crowd. When we walked to the rehabilitation area, all the turtles were covered up. I understand why and it makes sense but I wish that was disclosed when we paid because it ultimately was just a waste of time and money going there. The birding site next door was a much better experience.

We loved stopping here in the morning before our beach day! Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. I had questioned them on why do they move the eggs from where the turtles lay. I was shocked that Padre Island does it this way. Anyway- I never knew about the coyotes on the island. They also explained for the safety of the eggs. This was harder for me to grasp as it interferes with nature but I understand people are not as careful as they should be. A good education for me in my old age!

Just a wicked awesome experience! The family and I really enjoyed ourselves. It is quite an educational and fun-filled place to visit.

Very cool! We entered at the facility nearer to the street but there's a newer expansion on the side with more tanks. Relaxing and excellent at the same time. The sea turtles rehabilitations are breathtaking! $5 for adults, $4 for kids. So glad we went!

So fun. Doesn't take long to get thru (maybe an hour if you linger) . Price of entry was fair and I loved the resident and hospital tanks.

Love the Sea Turtle Inc. It's a must if you're visiting SPI. Support the turtles! You can bring your dog too! Also the gift shop is great! They have unique items and the people are very friendly.

I remember reading of Ila Loetscher, "The Turtle Lady," in the late 1960's. "Interesting," I thought, but felt it was a passing fad. Then in 1977, I read that she had founded Sea Turtle, Inc. On the surface, that statement might not seem unusual except I was in Bombay, India reading an article appearing in the Times of India. Hmm--a passing fad it was not. Fast forward more than forty years; here I am in the little town of Kerrville, Texas and learn that one of my neighbors is a regular volunteer there. Peg and I were planning to visit South Padre Island, so we put Sea Turtle, Inc. on the list. Here, one woman's dream became reality and in a big way! The physical plant is impressive. What began as one building has blossomed into three, thanks to $1.2 million from an anonymous donor. The original building is now dedicated totally to rehabilitation, the newer two to education. As of this writing, the admission is $6 for adults, $5 for children--and worth every penny. We began by attending an informal talk by one of the staff members in the amphitheater. We noticed on the rear wall many ceramic turtles, each with an accompanying plaque. They were donated in honor of the volunteers who have shown special dedication to the program. And just as I was turning to go, I spied one dedicated to my neighbor. Didn't surprise me; the guy lives and breathes sea turtles. Like me, he's retired and for awhile he was wondering what to do with his life--he found it! As you can tell from the photos, there are many educational displays throughout but it's the turtle tanks that attract the most attention. These are rather large specimens who, due to injuries, cannot be released and have taken up residence there. The one that I found most interesting was Allison. She entered the shelter in 2005, the victim of predator attack leaving her with only one flipper. She had to be fed by hand and could only swim in circles. But that changed in 2009 when an Intern, Tom Wilson, designed a prosthesis, the first of its kind. Allison's prosthesis is a long rudder-like fin that provides resistance against the water when she uses her remaining front flipper. It has undergone many changes since the original model, each improving from the last. The current device is designed to clip onto her shell with the ability to adjust as she grows. It's extremely effective, as I learned as she zipped past me in her tank. Being a retired surgeon, I was anxious to visit the rehab center. While on the surface it's devoid of fancy bells and whistles, the work there is extraordinary. The staff is eager to talk with visitors and will make your visit instructive and meaningful. Keep an eye out for the turtles painted on the floor and the exquisitely carved turtle bench. If you visit South Padre Island, Sea Turtle, Inc. is a must-see. The story is inspirational, the work remarkable. You don't want to miss it!