This popular Palm Beach County spot voted ‘Best Free Attraction in US’

Pederson, a green turtle, who was accidentally hooked Sept. 21 off the Juno Beach Pier, was taken to Loggerhead Marinelife Center to recover.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center has long billed itself as a nationwide agent for ocean conservation and turtle rehabilitation. Now for the second year in a row, it has the ranking to match.

The list from USA TODAY includes multiple different categories like 'Best Bus Service' and 'Most Walkable City' to visit, as judged by a panel of travel experts. Readers also can vote for their favorites in this category and others.  

For a second year in a row, Loggerhead has been up against — and defeated — favorites as diverse as the Hershey’s Chocolate tour in Hershey, Pennsylvania and TECO Manatee Viewing Center along Tampa Bay. 

Here are five things to know about Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a presence in northern Palm Beach County for more than 40 years.

What is the Loggerhead Marinelife Center?

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education and conservation site that provides daily free events for visitors to explore its exhibits and observe the live sea turtles that are temporarily housed there.

The center also manages the Juno Beach Pier, where it promotes responsible fishing and conservation of all marine life.

How long has Loggerhead Marinelife Center cared for sea turtles? 

It was founded and established in 1983 by a Juno Beach resident, Eleanor Fletcher, as she noticed most of the turtle hatchlings headed landward instead of towards the water. She started the earliest sea turtle research in our area and was known as the “Turtle Lady.” She was also the first woman in Florida to receive a research permit. 

Where is the Loggerhead Marinelife Center?

It is along U.S. 1 just north of Donald Ross Road in Juno Beach, about 20 minutes north of West Palm Beach and 90 minutes north of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It is headquartered at Loggerhead Park which has direct access to the Atlantic. Loggerhead's full address is 14200 US-1 in Juno Beach.

Northern Palm Beach County's beaches are a top spot where loggerhead, green and leatherback turtles lay their eggs each year. In 2024, Loggerhead officials counted nearly 15,000 nests along the 10 miles of beaches in Juno Beach, Jupiter and Tequesta — and that was considered a down year.

How many visitors are there per year?

More than 350,000 visitors come every year to the center. Many visit for the events that they host every day and student field trips, according to Loggerhead's website.

What kinds of events are hosted?

The center hosts eco experiences like evening turtle walks and hatchling releases, as well as tours like the Public Guided tour, which is an hour long and teaches those who take it about the ailing turtles' experiences and symptoms. Other events include the Sea Turtles Savers Summer Camp. The center also hosts signature events such as World Ocean Day Film Festival. 

Do they permanently keep the sea turtles?

No. Once the turtles are healthy enough to be released into the wild again, they are placed back into the ocean. However, if they are healthy enough to be released but are determined to not be able to survive the wild, the turtle is transferred to a facility that permanently houses marine life, to ensure a safe and long lasting life.

Francesca Abarca is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: This popular Palm Beach County spot voted ‘Best Free Attraction in US’