Marathon's Turtle Hospital Offers Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Educational Tours

At mile marker 48.5 on the Overseas Highway, tucked into what was once a roadside motel, sits one of the Florida Keys' most compelling stops: The Turtle Hospital in Marathon. The hospital is the world's first state-licensed veterinary hospital dedicated solely to sea turtle care, and its motto, "Rescue, Rehab, Release," is more than a tagline — it describes the entire arc of every patient that passes through its doors. The Turtle Hospital is a small nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of endangered sea turtles, the only one of its kind in Florida.

From Motel Rooms to Veterinary Suites

It all started in 1986, not in a shiny new medical facility, but in the humble rooms of the Hidden Harbor Motel, whose owner, Richie Moretti, saw what was happening to the local sea turtles and knew he had to do something. Moretti began using the motel's saltwater pool to nurse injured turtles back to health, and his small passion project grew fast, showing just how big the need was. One by one, motel rooms were transformed into spaces for triage, treatment, and recovery, creating the world's very first veterinary hospital dedicated entirely to sea turtles.

Today, the facility at 2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050, bears little resemblance to the motel it replaced. The hospital has a full-time staff of 18 and three ambulances. The property houses rehabilitation tanks, veterinary suites, and educational spaces, all serving the singular mission of getting injured turtles back to the ocean where they belong.

What Threatens Sea Turtles in the Florida Keys

Understanding the hospital's work starts with understanding why so many turtles need it. The waters around the Keys are rich habitat — but also a collision zone between marine wildlife and human activity. On any given tour, visitors learn about three primary threats that drive the steady stream of patients arriving at Marathon.

Boat strikes are among the most visible dangers: turtles hit by speeding boats can suffer cracked shells, and some sustain injuries severe enough to permanently impair their buoyancy, leaving them unable to dive. Entanglement in fishing gear is equally damaging; some endangered sea turtles tangled in discarded fishing line can hardly swim.

Perhaps the most insidious threat is fibropapillomatosis, a tumor-causing disease that has become alarmingly common in Florida's waters. The Turtle Hospital in Marathon rehabilitates sea turtles suffering from a variety of ailments but most commonly treats fibropapillomatosis. The disease gives sea turtles giant cauliflower-like tumors, sometimes as large as grapefruits, on their eyes, mouths, and flippers, as well as internally. Tumors can slow down sea turtles and make them more vulnerable to predation and collisions with boats, while tumors around the mouth can impair breathing and feeding, and tumors around the eyes can impact vision and may lead to blindness. In the operating room, tumors caused by the fibropapilloma virus are cut away, broken shells are patched with fiberglass, and plastic debris is removed from turtle stomachs.

The Guided Educational Tour

Because The Turtle Hospital is an active medical facility, there is only one way to see it: you must join a Guided Educational program. As the hospital states directly: "Because we are a working hospital, you must be part of one of our Guided Educational programs in order to visit with our turtles."

The entire experience is built around a guided educational tour that runs for about 90 minutes, making sure everyone who walks through the doors leaves with a real understanding of the challenges these incredible animals face. The visit begins with an educational presentation about the types of sea turtles and the challenges they face in Florida; while younger kids may squirm during the talk, presenters keep it interesting by passing around objects such as sponges, a favorite turtle food, and telling stories about individual turtles that have been rescued by the hospital.

Afterwards, visitors meet some of those turtles, such as Bubble Butt, the first and longest permanent resident of the facility. Not every turtle that arrives at the hospital can be returned to the wild. Most turtles eventually are returned back into the wild, but a few become permanent residents. These animals serve as ambassadors, giving tour guests a close encounter with the very creatures the hospital exists to protect.

The tour takes visitors through the full arc of rehabilitation. Recovering turtles are placed in small holding tanks until they grow strong enough to eat on their own, then move to slightly larger tanks shared with other turtles, and after that into a 100,000-gallon saltwater pool where they can swim and gather their strength for the final step: release back into the wild.

Practical Visitor Information

The hospital is located at 2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050, at MM 48.5 on the Overseas Highway, roughly midway through the Keys. Reservations are strongly encouraged: "Reservations are highly recommended as space is limited!" To book a spot, call (305) 743-2552 or use the "Book Now" option on the hospital's official website. Email inquiries can be sent to turtlehospital@turtlehospital.org.

Admission pricing is as follows:

• Adults: $38.00
• Children ages 4-12: $19.00
• Children under 4: Free
• Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

Payment is accepted in cash and all major credit cards, collected at check-in on site only — no advance payment is processed remotely. The hospital runs as a nonprofit, which means your admission isn't just buying you a tour; it's the primary lifeline keeping the whole rescue operation afloat.

A Family-Friendly Conservation Stop

The Turtle Hospital is positioned firmly as a family experience, with the pricing structure and tour format designed to engage children and adults equally. The combination of an introductory presentation, hands-on elements, and face-to-face time with resident turtles holds attention across age groups. Families and nature enthusiasts find the 90-minute tour especially rewarding.

For those driving the scenic 110-mile Overseas Highway, MM 48.5 makes the hospital a natural midpoint stop. Whether the trip originates in Miami or Key West, Marathon sits at a comfortable distance from both, and the hospital's location just off US-1 makes it easy to work into any Keys itinerary.

Beyond the Visit

The hospital maintains connections to a broader network of Florida Keys conservation and marine science organizations, including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Dolphin Research Center, and programs like Tour de Turtles and Seafood Watch. These partnerships reflect the wider ecosystem of conservation work happening throughout Monroe County, all of which depends on public awareness and engagement.

Over the years, the Turtle Hospital has rehabilitated and released more than 1,500 turtles, not counting hatchlings, a number that represents decades of unglamorous, urgent, and expert veterinary labor inside the walls of what used to be a roadside motel. Every admission ticket, every tour reservation, and every informed visitor who leaves understanding what a boat wake or a stray fishing line can do to a sea turtle helps sustain that work into the future.