Turtle Hospital

What a fantastic place. Somehow it manages to blend a 1950s era roadside attraction with vital conservation work. They do an incredible job of rehabing and releasing turtles and are also quite willing to show you how they do it. It was an incredibly cool experience and we were glad to support the efforts of the staff. Lots of turtles to see, clearly expert care.

This place is amazing! Lucy introduced us to the sea turtles, and her enthusiasm made the experience even more special. She’s such a well-prepared and fun guide. Beyond her, the entire hospital and its residents are a must-see when passing by. Definitely worth a visit!

This place is amazing! Majority of the tour is outside, but under shade cloth and not too bad even in the hot weather (but bring some water) The "Educator" that led our tour was knowledgeable, friendly, and presented well. You can tell all the staff have a passion for the turtles in their care. Would definitely recommend you carve out 90 minutes if you're in the area.

This place is a G-dsend. The work they do is truly incredible. It's a must-see for anyone visiting the Florida Keys, especially for anyone passionate about sea turtle conservation. It's apparent all donations go directly to conservation work, and you get to tour the facilities. They even have Turtle Hospital Ambulances for rescuing sea turtles! Simply fantastic.

We did the tour with Jane yesterday, it was such a great time seeing the turtles and how they are cared for. It’s very informative and worth the trip and hour long tour, these sea turtles are very well looked after. And anything bought goes to their continued care to be able to release them back. One thing to note is bring a refillable bottle and a hat, a lot of the tour you are outside so be prepared for the heat.

How can you not love this place?! We made reservations the evening before with no problem. I also love that you pay when you get there instead of up front. Richard was so knowledgeable and had great energy throughout our tour. Would definitely come back again. The turtle hospital truly cares about helping turtles. 10/10

Back in January of 2025 we went to the Florida Keys for a week’s vacation. We took our camper and stayed at a campground in Marathon Florida. We stayed at Sun Outdoors campground. It was a nice campground with full hookup right on the ocean. The campsite were pretty big for a campground. We visited the Turtle hospital in Marathon. It was a few miles away from the campsite. It was well worth the trip and money to be able to see all of the sick or injured sea turtles some of which will never be released into the ocean again. Because of their injuries they can function in the ocean again. The hospital was an old motel that was converted into the turtle hospital sanctuary. It has a huge natural saltwater pool that is fed by the ocean. The doctors and other medical staff do an amazing job caring for these turtles. There is also an internship where young people in the veterinary or science medical field can come and learn how to care for these amazing creatures. It is definitely my all time favorite place to visit. You get to tour the facility and see up close how the turtles are cared for. Try to go in the peak season so it’s not so hot then and you can have a better experience.

Had a great time at The Turtle Hospital—truly one of the highlights of the trip! This year alone, they’ve rescued and released about the same number of turtles, which is amazing. The intro session was super informative, covering different turtle species and their nesting habitats. It was both touching and inspiring to see the turtles up close—especially those recovering from injuries like gas buildup or even with weights on their shells due to health issues. You really feel for them and appreciate the work being done here. Don’t skip the gift shop—lots of great items for turtle lovers and it supports a great cause!

Make your reservation online in advance of your visit or else you're likely to find all tours sold out. We booked ours online about a week ahead of time. We also signed our waiver online ahead of time. This saved us time. Pack a water bottle as there's a good hour spent outside. They have running water accessible for refills and clean bathrooms. The tour itself is educational and our guide answered all our questions. I loved looking at the turtles- the new patients and those getting ready to depart.

Definitely worth the entry price ($35/adult)! This hotel turned hospital offers a 90-minute, educational and very informative guided tour of the hospital, their work and how to be a part of the solution. Limited parking in front and a quick stop directly off of US1. The organization is non-profit, and all proceeds from the sale of items in the gift shop go directly to the work of treating and saving the turtles. Dozens of turtles live - temporarily and permanently - on site.

Must Must Must Visit!! I had a wonderful time visiting and learning about turtles, safety, recovery and release. I scheduled a day before, completed the waiver in advance and paid the day off. My tour started on time and my guide Mary was amazing, she was super knowledgeable. As we did the tour the vet was there to do surgery on a few turtles and I got to see an examination. She took me to the back where they had several pools for the turtles that are in their care and also those that won't be release. I was able to feed them and see them up and close. You won't be disappointed!!

Can I give 6 stars? Taylor was our guide today and said this was her first job. She gave us an amazing amount of information. They do surgeries on site as well as rehab and release turtles back to the wild when possible. A lot of the turtles here have an issue with their shell that makes them need to live in captivity with a counter weight on their backs. There's also a papilloma disease amongst turtles that they do operations to remove the growths and release them back after they heal. What a great place this is taking care of Gods creatures. Everyone was so nice and really seems the turtles have a great life here. Very impressed.

We were really glad we visited this non-profit turtle hospital. We were given a great tour and so much was explained about rescuing and saving sea turtles lives and how this hospital cares for them. The tour was approx 90 minutes and included feeding the resident turtles. We saw the entire property including where they perform the operations . The presentation was also very helpful and interesting, especially to boat owners and those who fish. Our presenter and tour guide was so knowledgeable. We were lucky enough to be there the same day as a turtle release was planned so we got to see that as well. I recommend this stop to anyone visiting Marathon. It is truly a worthy cause.

This is such a great place to spend some time. My second time, my wife's first. Sorry I didn't catch our tour guides name but she was wonderful. Apparently she just recently graduated from college and landed her dream job - JEALOUS lol wonderful facility and very informative - this is a must do if you're in the Keys!

The Turtle Hospital used to be a motel but is now a sanctuary for injured or sick turtles in need of medical assistance or long term care. Our tour guide, Carla, was absolutely PHENOMENAL! She is incredibly passionate about sea turtles, and we learned so much about these amazing animals in the two hours that we spent with her. During this time, she educated us about the five different species of sea turtles found in the Florida Keys, showed us around the hospital, and took us to meet (and feed!) their long term residents. The first 30 minutes of the tour took place indoors, but the rest was spent outside touring the facility. They did offer us ice water during the tour (so thoughtful!), and Carla turned on the cooling water misters whenever they were available. I learned so much during my time here and gained a lot of knowledge on some practical changes that I can implement in my daily life to help protect sea turtles. Be sure to check out tourdeturtles.org come August 1 -- it's a marathon for rescue releases. Interesting fact: sea turtles must have three working flippers and one functional eye to be released back into the ocean. Otherwise, The Turtle Hospital becomes their permanent safe haven unless they're adopted elsewhere!

We visited The Turtle Hospital for a 9:30 tour on Sunday morning, and we had the place to ourselves. Later in the day, it looked packed, so I think we chose a good time. Our educator, Melissa, gave us a lot of interesting information about the work they do there, as well as the history of the place. The way it got its start is so fascinating. We learned a lot on our tour, and we got to see a lot of sea turtles who have been treated and many are on their way back to their native waters soon. This is such a unique experience to include on your visit to the Florida Keys.

Cannot say enough good things about The Turtle Hospital. Mary was our guide on the tour and she was great. She was knowledgeable and answered all the questions that were asked. Paying around $100 for four people to get to see, learn about, feed, and help these awesome creatures is well worth the money. Only part of the tour is inside in the air conditioning, so plan for that. Would highly recommend visiting them if you're within driving distance.

Loved getting to visit The Turtle Hospital today! Our guide Ann was very knowledgeable and gave a great presentation on all the amazing work the hospital does to give Florida sea turtles a second chance at life! The guided tour was awesome, and we got to see turtles of all different species, sizes, and conditions. We also got to feed the turtles that are permanent residents. The gift shop also had lots of adorable merch, and sales go right back into caring for the amazing animals housed here. Highly recommend visiting!

Driven past the Turtle Hospital on many Keys trips and finally experienced it! Such an informative place and it is nice to be around the turtle saving energy at this establishment. The Turtle Hospital campus is funny looking as it was once a motel property. They got a well oiled operation with the hourly tours explaining what they do and how they help turtles that arrive and rehab them back to health and safety. I'll definitely come back and take my nephews to experience this in the future. Free parking, cute gift shop too.

I was really looking forward to visiting the turtle hospital and it did not disappoint! They are doing amazing things for the sea turtles they serve which is just awesome to see! Our guide was excellent and taught us so much about sea turtles and what they do here to rehab them. It was nice getting to see all the current turtle residents and learn what brought them here.

I'm sure it's a great cause they are working toward. The tour is, however, a slog through a rundown 50s hotel with turtles interspersed. It's about 3x longer (90 minutes) than is warranted. If it's a cause one supports it would be better just to send them a check.

What a fantastic story of a hotel turned into a haven for injured and sick turtles. My wife and I enjoyed the tour of this world class medical and rehabilitation facility. Support this organization and learn more out these wonderful creatures. A little pricy for a 90 minute tour, but worth supporting them.

Incredible experience, and a good way to help rescued turtles. They do guided tours only, which last 1.5 hours, and you need to reserve online (pay when you get there). You get to learn a lot, and see lots of turtles. You also get to feed the turtles. Our guide, Celia was super nice and informative. They provide water bottles, and have a golf cart for anyone with mobility issues (about 200 yards of flat walking).

I have to say these folks who are saving these sea turtles are amazing . If you get to Marathon Key Florida, you have to do thier 90 minute tour . There is tons of information I never know about . They fix them up and release them back to the sea . A very few get trackers attached so they can monitor their travels for a few months, and then the radio beacon will fall off . Found out about a leather back sea turtle that can get up to 2000 # and dives deeper than any other creature on earth. Even humans in subs can't dive these depths. They have 18 turtle that have been so damaged they could never return to the wild, and they can live up to 100 years . They have programs 6, and you can adopt a turtle ( we adopted Hanson for our grandson . ) our grandson will get 4 e-mails and pictures a year about how he's doing , and we got a certificate and a few other documents for our grandson . Best 35 bucks we spent on this trip.

My hubby and I stopped here on our way back from Keywest. Staff in office was very friendly. Our tour guide was Melissa - she is awesome!!! Very friendly, funny and very knowledgeable. We both think she did a fabulous job! At the end of the tour, we adopted a turtle named Bender. We received an adoption certificate, magnant, pics, and her story. It was only $35 a year. We will receive updates all year on how she is doing. Anyway, if your that way, it is totally worth a stop. I do recommend reservations.

This is a wonderful and educational activity in marathon! The story of how it was formed is inspirational. A wonderful service they provide

Awesome tour - $35 goes to the rescue efforts (I think). Get to meet the poor turtles damaged by boat strikes (bubble butts) or who are tumor ridden (most likely due to human caused chemicals and plastics in the water). We owe it as much to the turtles to rehabilitate and house them. Kudos to the friendly staff.

The knowledge we received was worth the time. It's very informative and conservation minded. The gift shop is small but nice. We had lots of turtles to look at and feed. The hospital grounds are vast and nice. You should come and learn and help.

They do such amazing work and now everything there is to know about our shell friends. Loved our tour guide who was very bubbly and knowledgable.

The turtle hospital was very informative and fun experience. The cost of 35 dollars a person goes to the hospital as this is a volunteer hospital. The only thing that I could mention being improved is the area which you pay. It is small and very crowded at some times but from what I understand, most of the people are just volunteering. The most unique thing I learned was about the bubble butts (adding weights to the turtles shell to help stabilize due to internal gas build up)

Our daughters were so excited to visit! There were great and not so great points to our visit. The staff member who gave us our tour was definitely lacking. She was monotoned which was a bummer. She was rude to a few children in the front row who were talking when she was. I get it, talking when someone else is can be frustrating and is rude. But when they're small children she could've been a bit nicer. The group we were in had at least 25-30 people (if not more). There was a family who had a child with the worst cough I've ever heard so we tried to keep our distance. In doing so, that left us in the back of the group so the lady giving the tour was very difficult to hear and she didn't repeat anything once the back of the group actually caught up. When we arrived outside to the pools she put on a headset microphone, but it didn't project very well so we were once again left not hearing for the most part. I will take blame for not asking her to repeat herself, but you'd think that would just be common knowledge for someone instructing to either repeat or ask if she could be heard. Getting to feed the turtles was the highlight for my daughters. We did ask the woman how old the turtles in the large pool were and she replied with we don't know and there is no way to tell their age. I think a better answer could've been that they don't really know how to tell the age of the turtles and went on to explain more. Telling us the size of the turtle when it arrived and how long they have had it could've given us a better idea of if it was 2 years old or 20 years old. We were lucky enough to see a turtle on the operating table so that was really cool! My mother-in-law (70) and daughter (6) tilted their heads to see what was inside a pool that had a burlap blanket over it. The woman was rude and told them they weren't supposed to be looking there, even though they didn't touch anything. She rudely said something about having already told us that. My mother-in-law (who is deaf in 1 ear) said we didn't hear you and she replied with "Good Excuse". When walking out a couple in the group made a comment to us about how rude that lady was and how they were unable to hear/understand most of what the instructor was saying as well. My overall experience was just okay. Paying over $125 for 4 people should've come with a much friendlier staff member and maybe some compassion. I'm not entirely sure if we will ever be back. If you go, hopefully you have a better experience than we did.

One of the Keys' most majestic creatures, the sea turtle, is often on the receiving end of the harshness of living in the ocean. Ingesting debris, entanglements, boat hits, and tumor growths are major reasons as to why these turtles may find themselves in need of human aide. The Sea Turtle Hospital receives many turtles each year and helps get them rehabilitated and, if possible, reunited with their natural ecosystem. On the tour, you can see turtles of all ages, ailments, and abilities being lovingly cared for by the staff that live on property. You can even watch surgeries live on the tour if one happens to be going on during your visit. If you're a lover of ocean life, make sure you don't miss this stop in Marathon, Florida. As of Summer 2023, tours can be reserved in advance for $30 per person.

Sign a waiver and make 90 minutes to go see some awesome turtles! It was cool to learn about what to look for and feel the passion of our guide, Melissa. We saw around 40 turtles? It was kinda sad to see limbs taken off but a great reminder to clean up the garbage and fishing lines!

If you like sea turtles then this is a must see in the keys. The whole experience takes about 90 minutes, most of which is outside. The first part starts off inside where theres a PowerPoint presentation and a Q&A. After that you head outside to all the tanks. They offer free water to keep you hydrated in case you left yours or didn't bring any. There's a good amount of turtles at this facility and they're all different sizes. My favorite part was feeding them. The gift shop isn't very big but it has something for everyone.

We had such a great experience! So informative and the staff is super friendly. Definitely worth the visit to see and support the turtles!!!

Turtle Hospital does amazing work with the tragically injured sea turtles. You start with a twenty minute introductory view of how the sea turtles end up at the hospital. Most of the injuries are due to the barbaric ways that man treats the environment (oil spills, suntan lotion, etc) Then they take to view many turtles in their natural environment ( small swimming pools) where you get to feed them and really learn about their stories and you get to know their names. They told us how you name turtles for only $35 a month (amazing). It might be a little better if the tour guide didn't hate her job. I will not say her name but it would be much nicer if employees pretended to like their job. Out of four of us that went, one loved it, one liked it, two would rather have teeth pulled without painkillers. So figure it out.

What a cool experience! Worth the money, especially knowing it's going towards a great cause! If visiting in the summer, go early to beat the heat and crowd.

Great spot to take a tour and learn about sea turtles. The guides are SO knowledgeable and you'll see lots of recovering turtles and even get to feed some!

Absolutely worth your time and money when visiting the Keys, this was 100% the highlight of our trip. The 1.5 hour guided tour of the hospital strikes the perfect balance of listening to facts and getting close to these majestic animals (feeding them is so fun!) The tour guides and staff are energetic, hilarious, and inspirational! By the end of the tour I I felt like I had learned a lot and felt empowered to help the turtles. It's always great when you're given so many practical steps to turn a very sad situation into a hopeful one!

This place is godsend. What the people are doing is an amazing stuff. The $75 we paid fors two adults and a child were worth spending and felt good that it will help the poor turtles who were hurt naturally or by some human act. The tour is amazing, we start with a presentation where in they tell about the hospital, what it does, what turtles get treated upon, and what not, then we move on to see the actual turtles. It was amazing to see those huge turtles being taken care of. It's an interesting place and a must visit.

We absolutely loved the turtle hospital. Our tour guide, Marlisa did a fantastic job presenting and was very knowledgeable. The work the hospital puts into helping sea turtles is great for the health of the ocean. Definitely worth checking out next, whether you're a resident or tourist

So worth the price of admission. Very educational for everyone! A nice "classroom" at the beginning indoors with a great overview of the different species and how why they're brought in for rehab. Our guide was wonderful! A little hard to hear outside, but we were in a large group, so maybe that is why. The rest of the presentation is outdoors, but again - very up close and personal as far as seeing them close up. Even had the chance to feed them in their tank at the end! It was nice to have some knowledge under our belt before seeing the different reasons they were in rehab. About 90 minutes overall and a great cause to support.

We visited for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it! It was so nice to hear about everything that is being done to rehabilitate all different types of sea turtles. The ones who cannot be released back into the wild, it's clear they are being well cared for. It was so fun feeding the turtles in the large tank, and watching them swarm around us to get their treats. :) Highly recommend a visit if you've never been, your donation will greatly help these beautiful creatures.

This is one of the most rewarding & educational programs offered dedicated to the rehabilitation, rescue, and well being of sea turtles. The 90 minute program has a guide that narrates your walkthrough of the hospital site, where several species of turtles are being treated or nursed back to health after sustaining injury that may have made them otherwise unable to survive on their own. Our program guide was Carly. She was awesome, knowledgeable, and really takes a dedicated passion in her work in the Keys with these turtles - she is to be commended. She was outstanding. Every and any question I (could have) had, she answered. You even get the chance to feed the turtles during your visit. There is also a small gift shop on site. Tours start on the hour, with the last tour starting at 4pm. Pre-registration is required at one of the iPad kiosks in the lobby. Our group had close to 30 people, so I recommend making reservations to guarantee your time.

. A good place to visit. They take walk-ins but I suggest reserving your spot online. I came here before and couldn't get in because they were completely booked and they book fast. It'easier to do online because you have to sign waivers. . . . The place is easy to spot. It has a big sign with a turtle picture on it and the building is painted bright greenish. The hospital has plenty of parking spaces. . . . When you book the tour, you pick the time. They run on time. The tour is 90 minutes and around $30. It is worth it. Bring sunglasses and sunblock. it is bright out mostly covered. . . . The tour starts with a short, sit-down, air-conditioned, educational, presentation. It was a great learning experience. . . . The next step was the operating rooms. Here you learn the different types of treatments they do to turtles. They introduce the patient's names that are now staying here and the conditions they have. . . . They take you on a guided tour to the back side where they have three big tanks with turtles. After that you go and see smaller tanks and more turtles, I was fortunate to have gotten to see hatchlings. It is hot here lol. . . . The last tank thing I remember was this huge pool with large turtles swimming all around. I was able to feed them. This is a working hospital so as you are doing the tour. Workers are around you working. I got to see one of the turtles get a scrub. It was cute. . . . This nonprofit hospital does a great job. The price was well worth the visit.

This is a must stop if you are in the keys!! Price is $30 for adults & $15 for kids. It's well worth the experience you get! You are up close to these beautiful animals. The staff are very knowledgeable and so nice! We all learned so much and it was so cool to see the work they do there. You get a tour of the facility, meet & feed turtles and hear a very informative presentation on sea turtles. There is also a gift shop at the end. The entire family will enjoy this experience!

Always love visiting the Turtle Hospital and all they do! Visited again last week with Melissa as our guide - she was fantastic and informative! We can't wait until our next visit.

My husband and I decided on a whim to visit the Turtle hospital, and are so glad we did. It was a wonderful experience and our educator, Paige , was knowledgeable, informative and has a great sense of humor. People of all ages will enjoy The Turtle Hospital.

This was a stop we made on our drive down to Key West. I was hesitant to take my family because, in all honesty, I was concerned it was a tourist trap. Well, let me just say it was one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me. The guide was so knowledgable and entertaining, the turtles were amazing, and it's just one of those experiences you never know you needed. Also, on the day we went, they had just rescued a freshly hatched tiny leatherback sea turtle named Peter Parker and he was so indescribably cute. They do GREAT work at this hospital and you won't regret supporting their mission.

What a great time to see all the beautiful sea turtles who were rescued by The Turtle Hospital! Its was a well informed 90minute tour and all proceeds go to the non-profit organization to help all the injured turtles. Definitely would check out when your in the Marathon area. Thank you to the The Turtle Hospital for their services and being a positive impact to our planet!

Loved our guide, Melissa- her love For turtles showed in her knowledge, enthusiasm and joy she showed speaking about the turtles- highly recommend this ! My favorite place in Key West area!

Our family absolutely loved our visit to the Turtle Hospital during a recent vacation in the Florida Keys! The hospital's amazing team of volunteers offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how they work every day to protect Florida's threatened sea turtle population, rehabilitate injured turtles, and release them back into the wild. A guided tour of the facility takes just under 90 minutes, and includes a brief orientation on the different species of sea turtles and a visit to the extensive rehab tanks, where you can get up close to these beautiful creatures. We learned so much during the tour, and our kids loved feeding the turtles and stroking their shells as they cruised through the water of the rehab tanks. Because this is a working hospital, your admission fee directly helps the staff obtain the resources they need to continue their important mission of protecting and rescuing Florida's magnificent sea turtles. It's one of the best experiences you'll have in the Keys, providing memories you'll treasure for a lifetime!

Even if you aren't a huge animal/ environment person, I can't more highly recommend and urge you to try and visit the Marathon Turtle Hospital and take a tour if you have the chance. Seriously. I've been to the Turtle Hospital up in Jupiter, FL but that was nothing compared to here. This hospital in Marathon is the largest turtle hospital in the country, so it's the big guns, the real deal. Also, when you do come make sure you book an appointment AHEAD of time, because they are a very popular, busy place and there's a low chance you'd be able to walk in and go on a tour right away. We were extremely fortunate that a large group canceled right at the time we went, so we were able to go right away, but few people will have that same luck. But thank goodness we were able to! Mary our guide was the most down-to-earth, easy person to listen to and she was so great at teaching us all about the turtles and what they do there at the hospital for them. It was for sure one of the highlights of our entire Keys trip. We were also super fortunate to see all 5 species of US sea turtles while there, which doesn't happen often either. And we even got to feed some of them at the end of our tour! Really, this is a top stop through the Keys and great for the kids/ family or really anyone!!

Melissa gave us a very Informative 90 minute tour. She is amazing . We learned so much and fell in love with the turtles .

Loved our experience at the Turtle Hospital . The tour was excellent and our guide took time explaining the inner workings of the hospital and answering all of our questions . You get a tour of the hospital and then you get to meet the patients and residents - the beautiful turtles! You even get to feed them if you want . It lasts about 90 minutes . We respected and appreciated what the hospital does so much that we adopted our very own turtle - Bubble Butt! You can too , at the end of the tour just ask in the gift shop . If you are in Marathon , the Turtle Hospital is definitely worth your time. You will learn a lot and discover a new appreciation for these beautiful creatures !

Good educational fun. About a third of a day kinda thing. A little classroom school room learning then a tour of the property. Enjoyable and educational. Great for kids.

I was skeptical at first thinking this might be another "tiger king" place with profits posed as a rescue. They rehabilitate turtles that are injured and do their best to get them back to their natural habitat and only keep those that would not survive in the wild. Our tour guide Kathy was knowledgeable and provided a great tour. We saw about 20 turtles total in various states of either rehab or housing. Free bottled water was provided and the area was well shaded. Worth a stop!