Aquarium of the Pacific Opens New Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Area

Visitors can now see rescued sea turtles go through rehabilitation at the Long Beach aquarium.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 7:15pm

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The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California has opened a new sea turtle rehabilitation area, allowing visitors to see rescued sea turtles as they recover and prepare for release back into the wild. The new 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool doubles the aquarium's capacity for caring for stranded, sick or injured sea turtles, which the aquarium has been doing for over two decades in partnership with federal wildlife agencies.

Why it matters

The new sea turtle rehabilitation area at the Aquarium of the Pacific is an important addition to the aquarium's ongoing conservation efforts. It allows the aquarium to accept more rescued turtles and make their rehabilitation work visible to the public, raising awareness about the threats sea turtles face and the efforts to protect them.

The details

The new rehabilitation area is located next to the aquarium's Molina Animal Care Center. It features an approximately 4,000-gallon pool where rescued sea turtles can swim as they recover. Visitors can learn more about the rehabilitation process through an accompanying audio visual display. The aquarium has worked to rescue, rehabilitate and release sea turtles back into the wild for over 20 years, including green, olive ridley and loggerhead sea turtles. A major part of this effort is the aquarium's Southern California Sea Turtle Monitoring Project, which brings together professional and citizen scientists to monitor sea turtles in the nearby San Gabriel River.

  • The aquarium celebrated the grand opening of the new sea turtle rehabilitation area on January 28, 2026.
  • In March 2025, volunteers spotted a badly injured green sea turtle in the San Gabriel River that had been entangled in fishing line and debris.
  • On January 14, 2026, the aquarium rescued another sea turtle that was also entangled in fishing line and debris in the San Gabriel River.

The players

Aquarium of the Pacific

A public aquarium located in Long Beach, California that has worked to rescue, rehabilitate and release sea turtles back into the wild for over two decades.

Nate Jaros

Vice president of animal care, fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Cassandra Davis

Volunteer services director at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Dr. Lance Adams

Veterinarian at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

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What they’re saying

“Our jobs are to care for animals and to bring the stories of the ecosystem in the ocean to our visitors, and this one checks all boxes. It's a story where people can contribute to making sure that these animals are healthy and that we share our environment with them. It's a program that's also lived behind the scenes for decades. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness for it, what we do, and our mission.”

— Nate Jaros, Vice president of animal care, fish and invertebrates (whittierdailynews.com)

“Our volunteers have been making a difference in the lives of sea turtles for over a decade, and their actions help to save the life of a special green sea turtle that you will meet today.”

— Cassandra Davis, Volunteer services director (whittierdailynews.com)

“This sea turtle was also entangled in fishing line and tethered to debris in the San Gabriel River. It has a similar but slightly less severe flipper constriction injury, and we are working to try to help this sea turtle keep a flipper. The second turtle is now resting behind the scenes as it continues its recovery.”

— Dr. Lance Adams, Veterinarian (whittierdailynews.com)

What’s next

The aquarium plans to release the green sea turtle that had its front flipper removed after 11 months of rehabilitation and care in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

The new sea turtle rehabilitation area at the Aquarium of the Pacific is an important addition to the aquarium's ongoing efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release sea turtles back into the wild. By making this work visible to the public, the aquarium can raise awareness about the threats sea turtles face and the critical role aquariums and volunteers play in conserving these marine animals.