- December 4, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Two of the most famous residents at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort celebrated a special occasion this week. Rose and Jack, the pair of Aldabra giant tortoises living at the resort, celebrated their first anniversary of delighting and educating guests on Aug. 14.
The titanic tortoises gradually made their way over to meet their party guests standing outside the enclosure, which was decorated with balloons and sparkly fringe for the special event.
But the part of the celebration they cared about most sat in the middle of the sandy enclosure — a two-tier pink watermelon cake decked out with cucumber slices, bananas, carrots, berries and other animal-friendly treats.
Donning their gold party hats, they tucked into the celebratory cake while their human guests enjoyed iced cookies shaped like tortoises.
Their primary caretaker is Dan Conklin, curator of the resort’s wildlife lagoon. He said the sugary delight was a once-in-a-blue-moon treat that the pair definitely enjoyed. Typically, they munch on grasses and other healthy snacks.
Conklin said Jack and Rose have been excellent animal ambassadors over the year, bringing smiles to many children's faces with their lumbering presence in the lagoon area.
"They're a unique and exquisite animal," he said. "Kids are always amazed by them, and that's the power of animals, and tortoises in particular. When you get up close to them, it does so much more than a picture or a video can. You can touch them, feel their shell, scratch their neck. It really brings people closer to wildlife."
He said visitors are often surprised to learn just how sensitive their hard-shelled carapaces actually are. In fact, a mosquito can even give them a bite between the massive plates of the shell.
But that also means Jack and Rose enjoy a good back scratch from the team of keepers, who have been hard at work getting all the animals at the resort settled into their homes, which officially opened Aug. 16, 2024.
Rose and Jack had an exciting start to their time at The St. Regis, particularly when they shuffled over to the parking garage to avoid the storm surge during last year's hurricanes.
It has been smooth sailing for them since then. The tortoises like to spend a sunny afternoon soaking in their pool or diving into a mud bath the team occasionally prepares for them.
Many people who meet Rose and Jack may initially think their names come from the popular film, "Titanic." However, the origins actually trace back to John "Jack" Jacob Astor, the founder of The St. Regis New York and creator of the brand.
Rose gets her name from the favorite flower of Astor's mother, Caroline.
Conklin said it has been a pleasure getting to know their personalities and habits better over the course of a year. Jack tends to be more outgoing, but both like to stretch their legs and sunbathe.
"Jack is a bit of a ham, and he really likes interacting with people," he said. "Rose can be a bit more choosy."
They are uniquely fascinating animals, similar to the Galapagos tortoises made famous by Charles Darwin's environmental work. Jack is due for a weigh-in, but both he and Rose are well over 225 pounds at 21 years old. Fully mature Aldabra tortoises, native to Madagascar and the West Indian Ocean, can grow to 500 pounds and live to about 120 years old.
Now that she has gotten settled, Conklin is optimistic that Rose could start laying eggs. These tortoises typically lay their eggs in the winter.
Conklin has plenty of interesting facts to share about the species, helping guests forge a closer connection.
"Aldabra tortoises are sometimes called the crying tortoise because you can sometimes see tears coming to their eyes," he said. "That's actually how they excrete salt, similar to Galapagos tortoises."
Experiences at the Under the Sea Lagoon are only open to guests at the resort, but Conklin said many people have been taking the opportunity to meet the tortoises and swim with the rays, especially in the August heat.
Despite their slow-moving reputation, Jack and Rose made quick work of their celebration cake, nibbling on the last few bites of cold watermelon while caretakers took a moment to snap a picture and memorialize the milestone.
