The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre was established at the InterContinental Resort in February 2004.  The turtles at the center are sick, injured or handicapped or have been seized by customs and turned over the Tahitian Department of Environment. They are given to the centre to be cared for and nursed back to health, then tagged and released into the open ocean.    The most common sea turtles found in Polynesian waters are the green sea turtle and the hawksbill turtle.