Endangered loggerhead turtles hatch at Tyagarah

It’s been a long wait but 128 endangered Loggerhead turtles have finally hatched at a nest in the Tyagarah Nature Reserve.

National Parks and Wild Serve staff along with the Department of Primary Industries Fisheries have been monitoring the nest since it was first discovered by a member of the public in January.

Given a nest usually contains eighty to one hundred hatchlings and the endangered status of the Loggerhead turtle, NPWS and DPI Fisheries are encouraged by the successful outcome.

NPWS Area Manager, Sue Walker, said it was  important that all nests in New South Wales (NSW) were monitored as much as possible.

‘They go through such a challenging life to be able to breed, so reporting turtle tracks and nests is imperative for keeping records in our wildlife database and it contributes to knowledge supporting the survival of these marine reptiles,’ Ms Walker said.

The Leatherback turtle, Green turtle and Hawksbill turtle are also found in NSW, but the Loggerhead turtles are the most common nesting turtle on the state’s beaches and can be identified by having a large head in proportion to the rest of their body.

Marine Park managerAndrew Page, said DPI Fisheries officers from Cape Byron Marine Park (CBMP) have been monitoring the turtle nest since January.

Loggerhead turtles face a number of threats including predators such as dogs and foxes destroying the nest as well as ocean surges inundating it and killing the eggs.

‘In February NPWS and DPI Fisheries officers successfully relocated a turtle nest at Broken Head that was in danger of destruction due to high tides and trampling,’ Mr Page said.

Nesting generally occurs from November to February and can be identified by the tracks turtles make as they move up a beach to lay their eggs.

NPWS urges the community to avoid disturbing nesting turtles or nest sites and to report any nesting turtles to the NPWS Byron Bay office on (02) 6620 9300.