Sea turtle populations are threatened globally due to anthropogenic and natural factors, including fisheries interactions, watercraft strike, hunting, habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and severe weather. Injured and ill sea turtles are often evaluated by wildlife rehabilitation centres, and many sea turtles can be returned to the wild after rehabilitation. Physiological evaluation of injured and ill sea turtles has revealed life-threatening physiological dysfunction such as acidosis, hypoxia, hypercarbia, dehydration, and hyperkalaemia. Recognition and management of such conditions has improved the outcome for these patients. In addition to clinical advancement, veterinary evaluation has improved our understanding of general sea turtle biology, and increased the safety of procedures such as anaesthesia and laparoscopy. These modalities, combined with emerging biotelemetry technologies, will continue to improve our understanding of sea turtle ecology and conservation physiology.