The Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Stranded sea turtles are often found along Atlantic coast beaches. Before the Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened its doors, there were no facilities in Georgia to treat the turtles, and they had to be transported long distances to centers in Florida and South Carolina. Unfortunately, these facilities are often filled to capacity, and the turtles cannot be treated adequately and may be prematurely released. In February 2006, renovations began on the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a marine turtle rehabilitation, research, and education facility on Jekyll Island. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened in June 2007 and provides state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles, with opportunities for scientific research and long-term treatment.