1. Will the Hatchery take my unwanted pet turtle?
The Hatchery rarely accepts unwanted turtles, as we have very limited space available. Please contact the Hatchery BEFORE bringing the turtle. If they are not species native to New York State, we will contact organizations that will use them for educational purposes. The Hatchery does request that non-native turtles are not released into the wild. You may also contact your local pet store to see if they will accept you turtle.

2. Can I release my Red-earred Slider into a local pond?
Red-earred Sliders are not native to New York State. They are an aggressive turtle that compete with the native turtles for food and space; hence, displacing the native turtle. If you no longer want to care for your slider, return it to your pet store. It is illegal to release them in the wild.

3. Can people fish at the Hatchery?
Yes! Every Friday- Tuesday at 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. See our fishing page for more details.

4. What should I do if I find a turtle crossing the road?
Carefully, move the turtle across the road in the direction it was heading. Turtles often move around in a home range looking for food, water and a nesting site.

5. Does the Hatchery have a "Touch Tank"?
No, we do not have a Touch Tank. The reason for this is that the types of animals we have are very sensitive, and too much handling would make them sick. Amphibians are particularly sensitive. Their fragile skin need to remain moist. Also, you should not have any type of lotions, perfumes, insect repellents, sunscreens, etc on your skin when you handle an amphibian as they are very sensitive to chemicals in these products.Fish have a slippery layer covering their scales called a slime coat. Over handling of fish strips away the slime coat and leaves the fish susceptible to infections.

6. How big is Tiny?
Tiny is weighed once a year, during his Hatch Day Celebration. This year Tiny weighed in at an impressive 78 pounds!

7. What happened to Junior?
Junior was a 75 plus pound, 84-year-old common snapping turtle that lived at the Hatchery. In June of 1998, Junior was stolen. The perpetrator broke into the Hatchery at night, and snatched Junior. Junior's turtle-napping made national news and he was featured on the front page of Newsday. Three days after his disappearance, the turtle-nappers made a anonymous call to the Hatchery and told us where we could find Junior. Junior was safely returned into his pond. Sadly, 1 month later on July 31, 1998, Junior died. His recent adventure had been too much for him. He passed away quietly in his sleep. After his passing Junior was taken to a taxidermist and is now on exhibit in the Fairchild Building.

8. How does the Hatchery prevent its ponds from freezing in the winter?
The Hatchery's trout ponds are fed by 7 artesian wells. The water flows at approximately 400 gallons per minute. The water is 52 degrees F as it leaves the ground. The combination of the fast water flow and cool water temperature prevent the trout ponds from icing over.

9. What does the Hatchery do with all its trout?
The Hatchery sells its Brook, Brown and Rainbow Trout for stocking purposes.

10. I want to stock trout in my pond. Can I buy them from the Hatchery?
As mentioned above, the Hatchery sells its trout for stocking purposes. If you would like to purchase some trout, you need to contact Norman Soule, Director. He will do his best to accommodate your needs. We do deliver trout but only in the immediate area. We are unable to ship trout cross country.

11. Does the Hatchery sell its baby turtles?
The Hatchery does not sell turtles. Hatchling turtles are released into the proper habitats upon reaching 1 year of age. None of them are sold to pet stores or taken home as pets. A turtle can be purchased at your local pet store.

12. Can I see sharks and dolphins at the Hatchery?
The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium is a freshwater facility. All the animals live in freshwater environments and are native to New York State. Therefore, there are no sharks, dolphins, alligators or piranha. But there are a lot of other neat, scaly and slimy creatures for a person to observe!