2025 Nesting Season Results

We have had an exciting season with new volunteers joining us in the Fraser Coast this season. This gave us opportunities to train the incoming volunteers including three young members of the BNTAC, Butchulla group hence allowing the legacy to continue.

The season was not without its challenges with volunteers spending hours on the beach or researching to find solutions. The foxes were a problem this year and we had our top cages installed but the fox still found a way to get under the screens. We took different measures to deter the fox and found one or two were quite successful.

Cyclone Alfred subsequently caused significant erosion to the already compact, shrinking beach, severely compromising one of the turtle nests. Fortunately, the timing was opportune, and the hatchlings had already begun their journey to the surface. We carefully monitored the last nest. It survived the fox and the cyclone only for us to discover human intrusion.

The nature balance with wild animals is so fragile and if an attempt is made to dig a nest up that is not ready to emerge, this action will often destroy the hatchlings. Fortunately, we found the nest intact, allowing the hatchlings to emerge and go on their way.

Thank you to all the volunteers and beachgoers who monitored nests or showed interest in our work. Your support and public awareness are important for educating the community and protecting the turtles. 

Keeping foxes on the run

Nesting turtles on Queensland beaches have a huge struggle each year and their babies have bigger struggles with getting out of the eggs, digging their way to the surface then escaping the safety of the nest to get to the ocean without being predated on.

In Hervey Bay the foxes are the biggest threat in terrestrial predators and when we relocate a nest, we have a couple of things we do to try and make life a little easier.

A nest is relocated above the high-water mark which means we very carefully dig up the nest the mother turtle laid and then move it to a new spot which we have dug a nest chamber at, then slowly relocate the eggs to the new nest.

With the fox problem we then install a security screen over the top of the nest under the sand with the assumption it will deter any foxes trying to dig down to the eggs. The theory is foxes dig on an angle, so our screens are quite large , heavy and pegged into the ground.

Then when the hatching date approaches, we go down and apply top cages that are zip tied to the original screen as added security so the hatchlings can pop their heads up , catch their breath before taking off on their journey to the ocean.

This year Glen Miller from the Butchulla Men’s Business Aboriginal Association Inc. approached Downer Pty Ltd and Zip Print in Maryborough to help us  by Downer welding the cages together and Zip Print made up some amazing signs, so everybody knows the cages are there for turtle and who owns them.

If you see these cages on the beaches, please be aware there is a turtle nest underneath and do not touch the cages or disturb the sand inside as we use the change in sand patterns to determine how close the emergence is.

Turtle conservation is so important to the future of ecosystems and thanks to the amazing people at Downer and Zip Print and Glens time and effort the hatchlings will have an easier time of getting out and down to the water.

https://westernweb.net/2018/12/11/can-we-save-flatback-turtle-nests-from-foxes/

Fox photo credit: https://westernweb.net/2018/12/11/can-we-save-flatback-turtle-nests-from-foxes/

Lower Mary River Landcare and Catchment group is a volunteer not for profit organization and any donations or assistance is always amazing, it makes our life a little easier and we rely on our cash for cans donations and the volunteers donate a lot of time and their own money to keep up the amazing work they are doing.

Turtle tracks tell us so much information

The turtles have started coming up to nest and it is very exciting and people will do anything to help the turtles which is amazing for conservation but if you disturb the turtle tracks you find on the beach before one of our team has been down to have a look you make our job twice as hard.

Some of the things we are looking at with turtle tracks are:

a. Species - the two main species that nest in the Fraser Coast area are loggerheads and green sea turtles and the tracks are very different.

b. If the turtle is going up the beach and where she came back down , great for working out whether she nested or was looking for a spot but just couldn't find it as the beach was not suitable

c. The size of the turtle can be estimated from the size of the tracks

d. If the turtle has any injuries to their flippers or not, mating and generally life in the ocean can be quite rough on the girls and they often have part of or sometimes all of a flipper missing and we can identify a turtle by her tracks.

So its vitally important to not interfere with turtle tracks on the beach. What we would appreciate is if you find turtle tracks ring or text 0417 633 281 and let Lesley know where the tracks are and time and date so she can forward the info to a team leader to investigate.

If you come across tracks that have been messed up then we have been and had a look and made our notes and are aware of the turtle.