Surfrider Foundation Texas Upper Coast Chapter

Remembering our founder, Ila Loetscher, on her birthday today.

She began caring for sea turtles in 1965 in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, where she spent two weeks volunteering. Working with the Kemp’s ridley, she fell in love with sea turtles and began caring for them in her own home on South Padre Island.

By 1977, Ila formed Sea Turtle, Inc. after years of sharing her love with visitors and the local community.

Volunteers began taking a more prominent role in our organization in 1995 when Ila’s health started to fail. Sadly, she passed away in 2000, but her legacy lives on in the lives of volunteers, supporters, and staff at Sea Turtle Inc. today.