Stewards of the Keys: Bette Zirkelbach, the Heart Behind the Turtle Hospital

Bette Zirkelbach has become one of the Florida Keys’ most passionate champions for sea turtles, dedicating her life to healing the ocean’s ancient travelers. As manager of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, she has transformed her lifelong love of wildlife into a mission rooted in care, education, and hope for the future of marine conservation.

Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Zirkelbach spent years working at her family’s industrial powder-coating plant, but she found her real joy in volunteering with wildlife organizations, bird rescues, marine mammal programs, and by raising service dogs. Recognizing where her heart truly was, she left the family business in 2000 to pursue nonprofit work full-time. That shift eventually brought her to the Dolphin Research Center, where she spent over a decade before joining the Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

When she arrived, the hospital saw about 75 visitors a day. Under Zirkelbach’s leadership, attendance has grown to more than 300 visitors a day during peak season, and the facility has secured its future by purchasing the property it occupies. Her enthusiasm for the mission is unmistakable. “I used to be a cheerleader in school; now I’m a cheerleader for the turtles,” she often says with a smile.

At the Turtle Hospital, Zirkelbach oversees the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles suffering from a range of threats—boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, marine-debris ingestion, and the fibropapillomatosis tumors increasingly linked to pollutants and environmental changes. She and the hospital’s veterinary team perform surgeries, administer treatment, and nurture each turtle until it is healthy enough to return to the sea.

For Zirkelbach, the work doesn’t end with medical care. Education is a vital part of the hospital’s mission, and she believes deeply in the power of personal connection. Visitors who tour the hospital meet recovering turtles, learn their rescue stories, and leave with a new understanding of how these creatures shape the health of marine ecosystems. Zirkelbach strives to inspire every guest to become a protector of the ocean, no matter their background.

Her passion resonates far beyond the facility’s walls. Whether she’s working to protect nesting beaches, responding to an entangled turtle in open water, or sharing the story of a successful release, Zirkelbach exemplifies the heart of conservation. She often speaks about the importance of ocean “hope spots” and the global impact people can have when they care for their environment, no matter where they are.

Sea turtles play a crucial role in the health of the ocean, and Zirkelbach’s work—with her team and the community—helps safeguard that balance. She reminds people that anyone can make a difference: reporting injured turtles, reducing plastic use, following lighting guidelines during nesting season, or simply sharing awareness.

Through her compassion, leadership, and unwavering dedication, Bette Zirkelbach has ensured that the Turtle Hospital is not only a place of healing for injured sea turtles, but also a place of inspiration for everyone who walks through its doors.