Daylight nester surprises audience
Onlookers were delighted when a turtle came to nest during the day on this Sunshine Coast beach.
Marine turtles usually dig the dark so it was a very rare sight recently when a critically endangered loggerheard turtle came to shore to lay her eggs on a cloudy afternoon.
A big thank-you to the person who spotted her emerging from the ocean onto Bokarina Beach and called our TurtleCare team – who were quick to arrive onsite.
With help from local beach goers, TurtleCare volunteers monitored the beach to ensure the turtle had plenty of space to dig her nest and lay her eggs in the sand dunes at around 2pm.
Marine turtles generally lay from dusk to dawn around the high tide, so this was a special chance to see the laying process in the daylight.
It’s thought that the overcast weather on this day (January 13, 2024) may be why the turtle came up during the day.
Once the turtle had made her way back to the ocean, our expert TurtleCare volunteers placed a protective mesh over the nest to ensure that the eggs are protected while the hatchlings grow over the next several weeks.
A special thank-you to the onlookers for keeping their distance so she could nest in peace and not be disturbed.
