The Coastal Stewards sea turtle rehabilitation center inside Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is no longer open to the public due to “difficulty securing consistent and sustainable funding,” according to the Coastal Stewards.
There are currently 13 sea turtles under the care of the group, and they will be relocated to other facilities under the guidance of Florida Fish & Wildlife. When they have all been rehomed, the rehab center will cease operations; the rest of the nature center will be unaffected.
The nonprofit conservation group made the announcement Friday after a vote by its Board of Trustees.
“This difficult decision allows us to reallocate resources and focus on our long-standing commitment to marine conservation education and empowering the next generation of ocean advocates,” Shivani Gupta, a member of the Coastal Stewards’ board of trustees, said in a press release.
The Coastal Stewards also managed the gift shop in the nature center, which is also now closed.
This doesn’t mean that there will be no more turtles at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, however. There are three full-time residents—Morgan, Lefty and Lady McNubbins—to say hello to visitors and spread awareness of sea turtle conservation and protection. They are cared for under the auspices of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, which is owned by the City of Boca Raton.
The Coastal Stewards nonprofit has been around in some form since 1981, but for 15 years it has focused on “education, research and…sea turtle rehabilitation.” In 2023, they expanded its mission to also care for also dolphins, manatees and whales. In 2024, the group received a permit to restart and manage the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo.
Last summer, the team released two green turtles and in September, they took in seven sea turtles and 20 hatchlings from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium after Hurricane Helene. In December, the public was invited to help name eight Ridley’s turtles who were rescued by the Coastal Stewards after they were found “cold-stunned” in Massachusetts.
Nearby sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in the South Florida area include the Sea Turtle Hospital at Zoo Miami, Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, and the Turtle Hospital in the Keys.
