The global population of sea turtles has declined dramatically in the last 100 years due to a variety of factors, including habitat destruction, pollution, and direct harvest of turtles for their meat and shells. Sea turtles are a crucial part of our marine ecosystem and are the subject of major conservation efforts all around the world.
The Key West Aquarium is home to four sea turtles that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have deemed non-releasable due to the nature of their injuries and their history. These four sea turtles would not be able to survive out in the ocean but are still able to act as conservation ambassadors at the aquarium where they will receive lifelong care. The goal of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program is to promote public awareness of the challenges sea turtles face in the wild and to participate in ongoing efforts to enrich the lives of sea turtles living under human care. Two of our sea turtles, Lola and Rocky, are the first and second sea turtles in the world to receive biomimetic prosthetic flippers. To learn more about sea turtle conservation and the sea turtles at the Key West Aquarium, join the Sea Turtle Conservation Tour.