Inside a Sea Turtle Hospital: My Visit to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach

Recently, I stepped out of the studio and into something completely different: a sea turtle rehab center.

Yes, that’s a real thing. And yes, it was just as interesting and inspiring as it sounds.

As part of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s MOSAIC (Month of Shows, Art, Ideas and Culture) programming this May, I had the chance to visit Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach - an actual hospital for sea turtles. Think whiteboards, patient charts, wound care, and IVs, all supporting patients that are 200-pound loggerheads. I walked in curious and left with a whole new appreciation for the beautiful animals.

I have lived in Florida for four years, but I’ll admit I didn’t know much about sea turtles. Now I do, and honestly, it blew my mind. These creatures are ancient, resilient, and on the edge. Only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survives to reproductive age of adulthood. It’s not just predators - it is plastics, boat strikes, fishing lines, and a changing coastline that makes it harder for turtles to nest and thrive.

Loggerhead isn’t just treating injured animals. It is working at the intersection of science, education, and culture. From nest protection to public outreach, every turtle here is part of something bigger. A story about how art and nature, biology and humanity, all intersect.

As an artist, I think a lot about legacy, knowing my name, and my family’s name, is on every painting I create. Sea turtles appreciate legacy too, in their own way. Every nesting season, they return to the beach where they were born, guided by instinct and survival. It’s poetic and precise. It is legacy in motion. This visit reminded me that legacy isn’t just about what you create, it is about what you protect. 

If you are anywhere near Palm Beach County this summer, put Loggerhead Marinelife Center on your list. It’s educational, inspiring, and a powerful reminder that there is a lot happening beneath the surface - literally and metaphorically.

I owe a huge thank you to the Loggerhead team and to the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County for making this visit possible. It was culture, conservation, and curiosity all in one.

- Kyle