Visiting a Sea Turtle Rescue, Gumbo Limbo

Because I am such a huge animal lover, something I always do when I travel anywhere is visit the local animal rescue.

There is an amazing Sea Turtle Rescue in Boca Raton, Florida called Gumbo Limbo that I have visited a few times. It is a great way to spend a few hours, it is very educational and it is only a mere $5 suggested donation to enter.

Gumbo Limbo is an incredible facility that rescues and rehabilitates injured or sick sea turtles. Once rehabilitated, the turtles are released back into the ocean.

When you walk in, you walk along a long boardwalk down to an area that looks like a sea turtle hospital. There are large tanks with injured sea turtles in them. You can\’t get too close to the tanks but you can see the turtles through the glass.

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All of the tanks have information about the sea turtles in them as well as an explanation for why they are there. You learn about what caused their injuries. Some of them are there for natural reasons such as shark bites but most of them are there due to man. So many of the info signs state that the turtles were either struck by boats or injured by fishing line. It was disheartening to see that so many sea turtles are injured by humans carelessness. This organization is amazing for rescuing these sea turtles that would surely die without them.

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Here are three injured turtles being rehabilitated from injuries as well as illness.

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Gumbo Limbo also rescues baby sea turtles, called hatchlings. Hatchlings were either not strong enough to swim to the ocean, got washed back up, or have been injured by predators.

Outside of Gumbo Limbo, they have a temperature controlled cooler that allows people to drop off hatchlings they find in the event Gumbo Limbo is closed. The staff stated that they find hatchlings in the cooler daily.

Here are some adorable hatchlings!

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Gumbo Limbo also has a research center where they collaborate with Florida Atlantic University students to conduct research. I have been to Gumbo Limbo a few times and have only been in the research center once because it closes when there is lightening close by.

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I have been to Gumbo Limbo a few times and I plan to keep going back whenever I visit my family in Florida. Not only is it an amazing organization but by going there you are supporting sea turtles by your donation as well as becoming more educated on the issues turtles face and how we can help them! Be sure to visit Gumbo Limbo but if you can\’t, visit their website to donate!

Watch my video of my time at Gumbo Limbo to see cute fish and sea turtles!

Listen to my podcast episode about Gumbo Limbo here —>

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Or watch it here —>

Have you been to Gumbo Limbo or another wildlife rescue? Share your experience in the comments below!