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Turtle Tuesdays with Friends of Gumbo Limbo
Help Us Save the Sea Turtles!
Sea Turtle Rescue
Thank you all for the outpouring of support for our newest patient, Boba Tea! So many of you wanted to know how you could help the sea turtles, too. While you're enjoying our beaches and waterways, it's always a good idea for keep an eye out for injured wildlife.

Our Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility relies on our visitors to help us locate and respond to injured sea turtles. An injured sea turtle will likely have washed up on shore with visible injuries or entanglements, or it may be found floating in the water having difficulty swimming. During nesting season, females may be seen laying eggs near the dunes at night, mating adults may be spotted nearshore, or hatchlings may be seen making their way to the water, but they should all be left alone if uninjured.

If you happen upon a sick or injured sea turtle, here are a few important things to know for how you can help:

  • First, give them space! While your initial instinct may be to get close and assist them yourself, do your best to stay back and do not touch the sea turtle. Advise others to do the same and keep beachgoers away for both the turtle's and the person's safety.
  • Call for help! Stay within eyesight of the sea turtle, call our Sea Turtle Emergency Hotline at 561-212-8691 or FWC's Wildlife Hotline at 888-404-FWCC, and follow the instructions provided. Be prepared to answer questions about the turtle and your location in order to provide rescuers with the information they'll need. You may be asked to assist if it is safe for you and the turtle until rescuers arrive.
  • Take your time! Whether you are boating out in the ocean or in our waterways, keep your attention on the water, drive slowly in areas where sea turtles frequent, and follow all posted no wake zones. Wildlife like sea turtles and manatees live in shallow nearshore and intracoastal waters. These animals breathe air and can surface unexpectedly. Following the speed limits helps protect these endangered species.

If you are ever unsure if a sea turtle needs assistance, call our emergency hotline, which is operated 24/7 including holidays.

We thank you so much for doing your part and helping us protect sea turtles!
HAMMOCK HAPPENINGS
Hammock Happenings is Gumbo Limbo Nature Center's monthly digital publication of educational articles, virtual program listings, and up-to-date information on what's new at the center while our facilities are still closed to the public.

 Check out July's issue below, or feel free to read through previous issues on our site at www.gumbolimbo.org/HammockHappenings .
NESTING UPDATE
Plastic Free July is on, and we're doing our part to reduce and REFUSE single-use plastics. With your help in keeping our oceans and beaches clean, we hope to see these nesting numbers go up year over year!

Total nests: 714
Green: 62
Loggerhead: 639
Leatherback: 13
ADOPT A SEA TURTLE
Looking for a way to brighten someone's day AND contribute to Gumbo Limbo's marine conservation efforts? Consider giving the gift of symbolically adopting a hatchling or resident sea turtle, and support Gumbo Limbo's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility:

  • $1 feeds a hatchling for a day.
  • $5 feeds a small turtle for a day. 
  • $10 feeds a large turtle for a day.
  • $25 provides medication for a small turtle for a day.
  • $50 provides medications for a large turtle for a day. 
  • $100 provides diagnostic testing for 1 turtle. 
  • $250 fibropapilloma tumor removal surgery.
  • $500 care for a typical patient for its entire stay.
Your symbolic adoption will also help acquire and maintain expensive, but necessary, pieces of surgical and medical equipment that our staff needs in order to take care of sea turtles and return them to health!

What do YOU get?
  • An adoption certificate for the turtle of your choice.
  • A letter from the adopted sea turtle telling their story.
  • A photo of the sea turtle you adopted.
  • High-quality informational guide on sea turtle conservation and research.
  • Receipt of donation (for tax purposes).
  • Unique magnetic decal to show your support for Gumbo Limbo
  • Small turtle plush toy to represent your adoption of an endangered sea turtle.

For a look into what we are still doing every day to take the best care of our patients during this time, you can follow along on our social media or through the hashtags #LoveGumboLimbo and #ClosedButStillCaring .
Friends of Gumbo Limbo | 1801 N Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33432-1946