We Went to the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center!

We went to the Forgotten coast Sea Turtle Center in Port St. Joe, FL and it was so much fun!

Surprise!

We happened upon the center completely by accident. We were actually trying to find a thrift shop. Well, it turned out that the thrift shop had closed for the day, but there was a cute little building next door that was adorned with sea turtle decorations. Of course we were intrigued and decided to investigate.

More than meets the eye.

The Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center is about more than just sea turtles. They have other turtles and tortoises as well! This unassuming little building is actually quite an impressive place.

Knowledgeable staff!

Our guide through the center, Nancy, was absolutely amazing! She taught us so much. Turtles (sea and land…tortoises included) have their own sort of built in GPS. We learned that if you stop to move a turtle out of the road you should move them in the direction they are headed, otherwise they will turn around and go back. Let’s just say they are destination oriented.

This also explains why female sea turtles return to the same general area in which they were born to build their own nests.

Did you know?

We learned so much about these beautiful sea creatures as well as their land counterparts. For instance, the Leatherback sea turtles can weigh up to 1100 pounds and grow to almost six feet in length! They are the largest of the sea turtles and are followed in size by Green, Loggerhead, and Kemp’s Ridley. While large in size, these creatures are gentle and are in need of protection.

Lights out!

Want to help the new baby turtles? If you live, or are visiting the beach, be sure to turn off the lights on the beach side of your building. Baby sea turtles rely on the moonlight’s reflection to guide them to the water. If lights are shining on shore they can easily become confused and head in the wrong direction, drastically cutting their chances of survival.

Time to clean up.

Make sure you pick up all of your things when leaving the beach, especially trash. Sea turtles are not able to differentiate between trash and food. They will often mistake plastic for the shells they frequently chomp into in search of the little creatures inside. The plastic pieces become lodged in their throats and nothing can get in or out.

By land or by sea.

While sea turtles are the Center’s main focus, they do care for other turtles and several tortoises as well. We got to meet some of these awesome friends during our visit. We even got to watch Nancy feed a couple of the tortoises. There is nothing cuter than a tortoise eating a hibiscus! Be sure to check out the video HERE.