The Broward County Sea Turtle Emergency Hotline is 954-328-0580
The Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP) maintains a "Sea Turtle Emergency Response" hotline that is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This number is advertised locally for the purpose of reporting information about injured or distressed turtles, disoriented hatchling turtles, poaching, and dead sea turtles that have washed ashore.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also has a 24-hour Wildlife Alert Line that can be reached at 1-888-404-3922 (FWCC) for emergencies involving sea turtles or other wildlife. You can also call *FWC or #FWC from any cell phone.
Images taken by Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program staff pursuant to permits issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
If you observe an adult sea turtle or hatchlings on the beach, please be aware of the following:
It is normal for sea turtles to be crawling on the beach on summer nights. DO NOT report crawling or nesting activity on the published sea turtle emergency line unless the animal is in a dangerous situation.
Keep your distance from adult sea turtles on the beach. Nesting is a critical stage in the sea turtle's life cycle. Please leave them undisturbed. To safely observe a nesting turtle with a permitted organization, check out the
Interpretive Programs page.
DO REPORT all dead, injured, or distressed turtles to the SEA TURTLE EMERGENCY HOTLINE. This includes turtles that are found on roads, parking lots, or away from the beach.
Never handle hatchling sea turtles. If you observe hatchlings wandering away from the ocean or off the beach, call the SEA TURTLE EMERGENCY HOTLINE immediately.
