The Turtle Walk & Hatchling Release Programs
About Turtle Walks
During the height of the sea turtle nesting season (late May - early July), we offer a Turtle Walk Program, where participants join us for an evening of everything sea turtles! If we are lucky, participants get to see a nesting loggerhead turtle. This program runs late in the evening, and is offered for ages 8 and up. Tickets must be purchased in person and in advance for a specific evening. Click here for information regarding the 2012 Turtle Walk Program.
About Hatchling Releases
As we move towards the end of the peak of sea turtle nesting, we begin the peak of our sea turtle hatch-outs. The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is one of only three facilities in Florida to conduct the extremely popular Hatchling Release Program. During this program, hatchling sea turtles removed from nests excavated by our Marine Turtle Specialists are waiting to be released into the ocean in the evening. Participants watch as our staff places baby sea turtles on the sand several feet from the water's edge, and allows them to scurry into the ocean on their own. This program is offered for all ages, and generally runs from late July through mid-September. Tickets must be purchased in person and in advance for a specific evening, and they sell out quickly! Click here for information regarding the 2012 Hatchling Release Program.
Additional Information about These Unique Programs
Friends of Gumbo Limbo Members have long had the opportunity to purchase tickets before they went on sale to the general public. This benefit continues for the individuals and families that join our Friends of Gumbo Limbo Membership Program before the Members Only Advanced Ticket Sale. Current Members are eligible as long as they do not allow their membership to expire. Membership upgrades must be completed before the Members Only Advance Ticket Sale. Members are not guaranteed tickets, however they are given first opportunity to purchase a set number of tickets based on their Membership level.
Please note you are not guaranteed to see a nesting sea turtle on Turtle Walks. Over the last few years, we have witnessed a nesting turtle on about 60% of our walks. On Hatchling Releases, only permitted Gumbo Limbo staff is allowed to handle and release the sea turtles.
We are limited to the number of programs we can hold, and to the number of people who can attend each program by the guidelines stipulated in our Marine Turtle Permit, issued by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Ticket limits and sale dates are firm. We are unable to accommodate private walks or releases, or group reservations. 75% of the tickets will be made available during the Members Only Advanced Ticket Sale, and the remaining 25% will be held for the General Sale.
We will generate a waiting list once the tickets have sold out. We will call the list, in order, if there is a cancellation. Usually, cancellations are received the day of the program, so please leave a phone number that you can likely be reached on a weekday. Please note we receive very few cancellations for these programs.
Because of the popularity and limitations of these programs, if you cannot attend the program you purchased tickets for, regrettably, we are unable to reschedule you for another night. We can add you to the waiting list. We would appreciate a call letting us know you cannot come, so that we can call someone on the waiting list. Tickets are non-transferable, non-refundable, and may not be resold.
We appreciate your understanding of the guidelines we have placed on these programs. Our goal is to provide these tickets to both our Members and non-members alike in the fairest way possible. We apologize for the inevitable disappointment felt by the many that are unable to obtain tickets for these programs. Thank you for your continued support of the Boca Raton Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program and the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.