Come shell-ebrate being a TurtleWatch volunteer – the season has begun!

TurtleWatch NSW is calling for volunteers to walk our beaches to help look for turtle tracks after the season’s first turtle nest was spotted by a member of the public on the NSW North Coast last month.

The exciting find kicks off the start of NSW’s sea turtle nesting season following last year’s record of 18 sea turtle nests successfully hatching.

This first North Coast nest was too near the water’s edge and needed to be moved to save it from being inundated by waves and the tides, which would drown the eggs.

Specially trained and licensed TurtleWatch staff carefully placed the eggs into one of the cooler-box incubators used during last season’s record incubation success.

Incubation of the first nest has triggered a request for volunteers ahead of what could be a challenging season for nesting turtles.

Early this year Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred reshaped large stretches of the northern NSW coastline, causing many beaches to lose gently rising sandy shores.

Dunes were at times cut back several metres, reducing suitable nesting habitat by creating steep drop-offs that nesting females cannot climb.

Because of the Turtle Team’s vigilance in February, National Parks and Wildlife Service and TurtleWatch staff rescued more than 1,000 eggs from nine nests ahead of the cyclone. After hatching they were released at their original nest sites, with 1,020 hatchlings swimming free.

Prompt reporting of turtle tracks, low-lying nests and community awareness are key to protecting eggs and giving them the best chance to successfully hatch.

TurtleWatch is calling on community members to join the Turtle Team to help protect these vulnerable nests throughout the months ahead.

Citizen scientists can undertake ‘beach surveys’ which are key to recording where turtle tracks are, determining the species and identifying where possible nests are located. If a turtle nest is found it is important not to disturb it and to leave it for wildlife experts to assess if relocation is needed.

Sea turtle nesting runs from November through to March along the NSW coastline.

Join the TurtleWatch team today. Email [email protected] to find out more.

NSW TurtleWatch and NPWS monitor and protect turtle nests under Marine Estate Management Strategy.

Quotes attributable to TurtleWatch NSW’s Merryn Dunleavy

“Every nest that’s reported becomes one we can safeguard and the commitment and care from our coastal communities will be essential in ensuring these nests can survive.

“We are asking beachgoers to become citizen scientists and monitor local beaches along the NSW coastline, from the Tweed to Batemans Bay, looking for nesting sea turtles.

“Walk your local beach early in the morning along the high tide line, as sea turtles generally nest during the night from dusk until dawn, looking for turtle tracks in the sand.

“They are usually 80−100cm wide and can sometimes be mistaken for tyre tracks.”