Meet Our Sea Turtles
Captain and Coral
Known for her charisma and sass, Captain is the resident sea turtle at the Marine Environmental Education Center. Here, she loves to revel in the attention of all of her adoring fans while soaking up the warm, South Florida sunshine. Unfortunately, her life hasn’t always been so glamorous.
Captain was struck by a boat in 2010, and she stranded later that year due to complications from that injury. She spent three years in rehab at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, where she was cleared for release! Unfortunately, less than a month after being released in October 2013, she re-stranded with floating issues. After a couple more stints in rehab at GSTC and then Mote Marine Lab, it was determined that Captain would never be fit to swim in the open ocean again, as she was unable to dive without the assistance of weight-therapy.
Fortunately, Captain was able to find her dream pool at a historic house right on Hollywood Beach, Florida! She welcomes you to come down and learn all about South Florida’s marine ecosystems at the MEEC. She can’t wait to meet you!
MEEC Sea Turtle Ambassador
Known for being petite and sweet, Coral is the second resident sea turtle to arrive at the Marine Environmental Education Center. Like Captain, Coral arrived at the MEEC after she was injured and her injuries were deemed to severe to allow her to survive in the wild.
Coral was struck by a boat in 2021 She was taken to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, FL. Unfortunately, the boat strike caused veterinary staff to have to amputate her right front flipper and remove her right eye. Because she has limited mobility and vision, she cannot be released into the wild. Thankfully, the large saltwater pool at the MEEC provide the perfect home for Coral and Captain and they get along just "swimmingly."
Make sure to stop by every Tuesday - Saturday at 3:30 for our public sea turtle feeding to learn more about Coral and Captain!