Shell us what you see: TurtleWatch needs your help!

NSW TurtleWatch is calling on the public to keep their eyes peeled at the beach this summer and help expand our understanding of nesting sea turtles by reporting nesting locations you spot up and down the coastline.

The public play a vital role in aiding in the survival of sea turtles across the state through not only monitoring critical nesting habitat, but also identifying potential threats to nesting sea turtles. If you’re down at the beach and spot sea turtle tracks or a nest, please call NSW TurtleWatch on 0447 877 149 or NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) on 1300 072 757.

To best help our sea turtles, you can:

• walk your local beach early in the morning, as sea turtles generally nest during the night
• keep your eyes peeled for any tracks in the sand, which are usually 80–100 cm wide and can sometimes be mistaken for tyre tracks
• take your phone with you so you can quickly call NSW TurtleWatch or NPWS if you see signs of turtles, tracks or a nest, as well as potential threats to these nesting turtles.

Last nesting season was one of the highest on record for NSW Turtlewatch, with 16 total nesting events recorded from New Brighton Beach in the Byron Shire to Diamond Beach on the Mid North Coast.

During nesting season, sea turtles lay around 100 eggs per clutch on the beach and leave them in the sand to incubate for around 2 months. The sand’s temperature determines the hatchlings' sex, with cooler sand producing more males, while warmer sand yields more females.

NSW TurtleWatch has been developed by Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue and is proudly funded by the NSW Government.

Quotes attributable to NSW TurtleWatch Project Officer Merryn Dunleavy:

'In NSW, we are very lucky to have both green turtle and loggerhead turtle species nesting on our coastlines. Both species are threatened by climate change, so it’s important we do everything we can to protect each nest.

'Sea turtle nests are vulnerable to a range of threats including predation, high tides, and erosion. The sooner we are notified of a nest, the quicker we can get down to the beach and physically protect and monitor the nest until it hatches.

'It’s estimated that only one in every 1000 hatchlings will reach maturity, meaning every single nest and hatchling that is protected, will make a huge impact on the survival of the species.

'With such a large expanse of coastline to monitor, we hope to engage more people to recognise and report turtle nesting activities. The more understanding we have, the more we will be able to ensure their protection in the future.'