Turtles came ashore at Mon Repos in droves during the recent nesting season, making more than one thousand trips to lay their precious eggs.
According to Queensland National Parks, the season started off strong and then saw a decline in numbers during February, before picking back up again.
A spokesperson said on average, each turtle laid four clutches of eggs per season, making multiple trips to the Mon Repos nesting site.
“There were about 1,400 successful loggerhead journeys onto the beach this season,” a Queensland National Parks spokesperson said.
“There were 350 loggerhead turtles, nine flatback turtles and five green turtles who laid at Mon Repos.”
Turtle nesting numbers important for future
Ainsley Gatley from Sea Turtle Alliance spent plenty of her time down by the beach and said this nesting season was a strong one.
She said keeping track of the region's nesting turtles would be beneficial in recognising their movement patterns into the future.
“Turtles come and lay every two to seven years, so we need a period of about ten years before we can draw conclusions on how the nesting is going,” Ainsley said.
“A number of external factors can also affect turtle nesting, such as the cyclone around December.”
Ainsley said the Sea Turtle Alliance group would continue their work throughout the off season, in preparation for another busy nesting season ahead.
“We will continue our work in responding to strandings, so if people do see any turtles stranded, please make sure you call us so we can assist,” she said.
“We will also be working on a number of projects to get our beaches ready for the next season including lighting, shade structures and revegetation of the areas.”
While Turtle Encounter Night Tours have now finished for this season, Mon Repos beach will remain closed at night until 30 April.
This night closure is important in protecting hatchlings which are emerging intermittently during this time.
You can find out more about Mon Repos here.
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