Take a tour of the Turtle Hospital and the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon Key. Each a non-profit center dedicated to rescue, release, and education of endangered marine life, primarily of courses dolphins and sea turtles.

I was so disappointed to find we missed the public release of a sub-adult logger head sea turtle by one day. Any time wild life can be returned back into its natural habitat is a good thing.

The Turtle Hospital website will post the date and time when they will have a public release. For Kokomo, the logger hear turtle’s release we missed, he was in the hospital because a fisherman hooked him while fishing.

The man called the hospital and according to the web site it was a good thing he did or Kokomo would have swallowed the hook and died.

The hospital gives tours daily of the facility to educate the public.

The Dolphins Research Center is just a little different but results are the same to rehabilitate marine life. On the mission Statement, it says their goal is to promote peaceful coexistence and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment we share.

While on many of the tours related to the sea while here in the Key’s you will hear it said many times; do not feed marine life and give them their space. I found both facilities educational, and feel I walked away thankful we have places like the dolphin and turtle center.