turtles hatching sea turtles QLD Australia

Have you ever wondered what a turtle is doing as it crawls up onto the beach? And why do we only see turtles on land after dark? Watching a turtle’s nesting pattern is one of nature’s most fascinating rituals and will give you an insight into the turtles amazing lives.

Queensland is the perfect destination to experience and witness the wonder of nesting turtles and the emerging turtle hatchlings.

Turtle Nesting and Hatching

Many varieties of turtles such as the loggerhead, green, leatherback and flatback nest from October to March each year along the Queensland coast from Bundaberg in the south to the Cape in the tropical north as well on the islands of the Southern Great Barrier Reef (Heron, Wilson, Lady Elliot, Lady Musgrave).

The Turtle Nesting and Hatching season is an amazing experience and visitors to Queensland will find opportunities to witness these nocturnal events in a controlled environment at a number of island and mainland locations. Near Bundaberg, Mon Repos supports the largest concentration of nesting sea turtles on the east Australian mainland.

When: November - March

Where: Bundaberg (Mon Repos Rookery), Heron, Wilson, Lady Elliott and Lady Musgrave Islands

Turtle Conservation Camps

You can help conserve turtles by participating in a six-day camp, working alongside the Mapoon Aboriginal owners and researchers as they measure and tag nesting Flat Back and Olive Ridley turtles, fit feral pig exclusion devices to the nesting sites and remove nets from the beach.

When: June - September

Where: Mapoon, Western Cape York