Ecotourism
Hundreds of tiny hatchling turtles are muscling their ways out of their sandy nests and dashing for the warm waters off Mon Repos Beach, which is east of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, a spectacle that has been captivating visitors for more than 40 years.
“January offers a double dose of nature with both nesting and hatching a possibility,” says James Corvan, General Manager of Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism.
“By the end of 2011, around 150 mature loggerhead females had made their way to shore to nest. January promises the arrival of even more nesting turtles and at the same time the nightly emergence of hatchlings.”
Turtle Hatching Season
The hatching season continues through to the end of March.
“On one hand, visitors will be able to get within inches of the giant females and watch them lay between 100 and 150 eggs each night,” James says.
“On the other, they will be asked by rangers to form a line-up and shine torches between onto the beach to create a path that will guide the 5 cm hatchlings to the ocean.”