Last week saw the first turtle nest for the season in Evans Head with excited locals watching the TurtleWatch program ensure the eggs remain protected.
‘This nest was from a loggerhead turtle,’ NSW TurtleWatch’s Project officer, Merryn Dunleavy, told The Echo.
‘Early detection is key for these nests in ensuring their protection. This nest was laid very low on the beach and was at risk of being washed away by high tides. Relocations are authorised by NSW NPWS and done only by permit holders.’
Merryn was able to carefully excavate the nest and relocate it to a new nest site close-by, that perfectly replicated the original, above the king tide mark.
‘We only became aware of this nest via a community facebook page, if we didn’t happen to stumble across the post on the community page, this nest would have been inundated by the high tide,’ said Merryn.
The nest will be monitored closely by NSW TurtleWatch volunteers and NSW NPWS staff while it continues to incubate. Turtle eggs are highly vulnerable to predation, high tides and erosion, It’s estimated that only 1 in every 1000 turtle hatchlings will survive to maturity, so every single nest and hatchling that is protected, will make an impact on the survival of these species.
If you see turtle tracks in the sand or a turtle laying a nest call the 24 hour TurtleWatch hotline: 0447 877 149 to report their sightings.
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