Watch: A turtle-ly cute first swim

Here is what happens before these hatchlings take their first swim.

Once the hatchlings are fully grown and ready to leave the nest chamber, they use a caruncle (temporary egg tooth) to help break open the shell.

The curled hatchling wiggles its way out of the eggshell and the residual eggshells are shuffled downward as the hatchlings begin to dig to the surface.  

As digging continues, the sand above the hatchlings is scratched away and settles down past them, helping them climb up the neck of the nest chamber.

Near the surface, the drier sand collapses into the chamber leaving a slight depression in the sand where the hatchlings will emerge from.

Depending on the depth of the nest and how compact the sand is, once out of the egg it can take hatchlings at least two days to make it to the surface.

Hatchlings usually won't emerge until night when the sand temperature just below the surface has dropped.

The journey from the nest to deep offshore is tough for the hatchlings as they face a range of different predators both on land and in the ocean, as well as potentially dangerous sand temperatures during the day.

However, emerging at night gives hatchlings the best chance of a successful journey as they make their way to the open ocean.

How you can help

Report turtle tracks, new nests and emerging hatchlings to our Turtle Care hotline or Coolum and North Shore Coast Care.

For sightings on the southern end of the coast call 0437 559 067 and for sightings from Maroochydore north call Coolum and North Shore Coast Care on 0478 435 377.

Switch off your outside lights from 8pm as light pollution is distracting for turtles and hatchlings

Make sure you take your rubbish with you from the beach so the turtles have a clean environment to lay their eggs in.

Our TurtleCare volunteers are highly trained citizen scientists who are making an incredible contribution to the ongoing survival of critically endangered turtles by monitoring nesting mothers, relocating nests if necessary for hatchling survival, and providing essential data to support this protection of these majestic animal.

All TurtleCare activities are conducted under Queensland Turtle Conservation Project permits.

For more information on Sunshine Coast Council's turtle conservation efforts visit sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.