Fatal crash blocks I-285EB at Riverside Drive »

Jekyll Island — On a visit to the Georgia coast last year, Hank Aldort discovered one of the state's newest attractions.

The Alpharetta man, who was vacationing in nearby St. Simons Island, enjoyed his first trip to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center so much that he returned with friends a month later.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center (ENLARGE)

A restored 1903 power plant is the home of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center (ENLARGE)

After years of hand feeding, Dylan is learning how to catch his own food in the turtle hospital.

RELATED LINKS: • Photos: See more of Jekyll Island • Check out the Budget Traveler's deals • Get more ideas for travel in the Southeast

"We were captivated by these beautiful sea creatures," said Aldort, an active bicyclist, hiker and kayaker.

Last year, Aldort was among the 50,000 people to visit the $3 million turtle center, which provides care for sick and injured sea turtles.

While it was difficult to listen to the weak heartbeat of one critically ill loggerhead (which later died), Aldort enjoyed watching a healthy loggerhead, Dylan, happily splash around in his rehabilitation tank.

"It was a unique opportunity to see these huge turtles," he said. "I'd go back."

The one-story center, which opened last June in the historic district on the coastal island, is housed in a restored 1903 power plant.

One part of the center includes a veterinary clinic, or so-called turtle hospital, where visitors get a close look at the turtles and see them being treated in round, open-air tanks. Staffers are on hand to answer questions and give patient updates (which also can be found on the Web site).

In the adjacent museum-like gallery, there are hands-on exhibits and story stations about sea turtles and their habitats. Educational programs for kids and adults are held throughout the year. In the summer months, visitors can schedule nightly beach walks with staffers.

Each year about 230 sea turtles wash ashore along the Georgia coast. Most of the turtles are dead. The few that are found alive are often sick, diseased or have been seriously wounded by boats.

Since it opened, the turtle center has treated 17 loggerheads, said Alicia Marin, the center's senior educator. Two of the turtles, who were nursed back to health, were equipped with satellite transmitters (so their travels can be tracked) and released last fall.

Recently, the center welcomed seven endangered turtles rescued from the Cape Cod shore. The young turtles, which were dehydrated and malnourished, included five Kemp's Ridley and two green sea turtles. The center hopes to release them this spring.

Since the goal of the center is to treat, rehabilitate and release patients, there are no permanent residents. The population can change from day to day, she said.

Dylan, a longtime resident, has been learning how to detect, catch and eat his own food. The loggerhead, a guest at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta soon after it opened, is scheduled to be released this spring.

IF YOU GO

Getting there

Jekyll Island is about 325 miles from Atlanta, about a five-hour drive. Take I-75 South to I-16 East to I-95 South. From I-95, take Exit 29 and follow the signs east on U.S. 17 about 10 miles. Turn right on Ga. 520 onto the causeway and continue to the greeting station (and pay $3 parking fee). Turn left into the Historic District of Jekyll Island. Turn right onto Stable Road and park at the turtle center.

Where to stay

• Jekyll Island Club Hotel, 371 Riverview Drive. Historic hotel that was once a hunting retreat of the Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Morgan families and their friends. Rooms from $139 through March 13, from $189 March 14-Sept. 1. 1-800-535-9547, www.jekyllclub.com .

• Beachview Club, 721 N. Beachview Drive. New, 38-room luxury hotel on the beach. Rooms from $119 December-February, from $169 June-August and from $149 other months. 1-800-299-2228, www.beachviewclub.com .

• Jekyll Island Quality Inn and Suites, 700 N. Beachview Drive. Rates from $69. 912-635-2202, www.jekyllislandquality.com .

Where to eat

• Courtyard at Crane Cottage at Jekyll Island Club Hotel, 371 Riverview Drive. Lunch from $9.95; dinner entrees $26-$38. www.jekyllclub.com .

• Blackbeard's, 200 N. Beachview Drive. Family seafood restaurant and lounge. Lunch sandwiches $8-$10; dinner entrees $13-$20.

• SeaJay's, 1 Harbor Road. Waterfront cafe and pub in the Jekyll Harbor Marina; speciality is Lowcountry boil. Lunch $6-$8; dinner entrees $14-$20.

About the turtle center

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Road, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $6 adults; $4 children ages 4-12; kids 3 and under are free. Admission and gift shop sales help fund the turtle center. 912-635-4444, www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org .

Information

Jekyll Island Convention and Visitors Bureau: 912-635-3636, www.jekyllisland.com.

FACTS ABOUT LOGGERHEADS

• Unlike land turtles, sea turtles are unable to tuck their head and arms into their shells.

• Loggerheads average three feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds.

• They spend their lives in the ocean except for nesting season, when they come ashore to dig a nest for their eggs and return to the water.

• Temperature in the nest determines whether a sea turtle is born male or female.

TURTLE DO'S AND DON'TS

• Never disturb (or touch) a sea turtle crawling to or from the water.

• Never approach a nesting female.

• Do not use flashlights and camera flashes, which can scare nesting females and disorient hatchlings on their way to the ocean.

• If you find an injured or dead sea turtle, call 1-800-241-4113 (calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week).

Source: Georgia Sea Turtle Center