Hundreds of baby sea turtles have been released into the ocean, after a rapid response team involving the NSW Government rescued a record number of eggs from North Coast beaches in the lead up to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Trained staff and volunteers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and NSW TurtleWatch undertook the state's largest-ever relocation of turtle eggs from nine beaches between Tweed Heads and south of Port Macquarie, to save nests before huge waves inundated them.
More than 1,000 eggs from nine endangered loggerhead turtle nests were carefully relocated into nine incubators. Seven of the incubators were 45-litre eskies fitted with sand, heat pads, thermostats and temperature monitors.
The huge operation was incredibly delicate, ensuring the eggs maintained their original vertical orientation during transportation and the incubators remained at 26.5 degrees Celsius.
After a ten day wait, the first eggs hatched, and 317 turtle hatchlings were successfully released at North Kingscliff and Seven Mile beaches, followed by more at Wooli Beach.
This week, 51 turtle hatchlings were released at North Haven Beach, 19 days after being rescued. Another 121 hatchlings were released at Fingal Head Beach.
Four turtle nests remain in incubators and wildlife rehabilitators are keeping a close eye-out for cracked shells and emerging hatchlings.
A tenth clutch at Casuarina Beach was rescued in situ, and hatchlings were released that same day.
Turtle hatchlings are released at low tide to allow turtles to run down the beach - an important part of natal homing for these threatened species. They will swim across the Pacific Ocean and up the South American coast, before returning to eastern Australia in years to come, to lay their own nests.
The pre-cyclone rapid rescue operation was the largest on record in NSW in terms of numbers of nests, eggs and incubators and the spread of beaches.
The 2024-25 summer was also record-breaking, becoming NSW's biggest turtle nesting season. A total of 18 sea turtle nests were found on beaches, up from 13 last summer.
This season saw the greatest community involvement ever in nest monitoring, thanks to NSW TurtleWatch volunteers, who monitored more than 2,700 kilometres of coastline and conducted more than 739 beach patrols.
Turtles were collected over summer by wildlife organisations including FAWNA, WIRES and NPWS, and taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitation organisations such as Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, Irukandji at Port Stephens and Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary.
Loggerhead turtles were declared endangered in NSW in 2001. The NSW Government runs programs such as TurtleWatch to help protect them.
Quote attributable to Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe:
"Thank you to our citizen scientists and volunteers who found the nests by monitoring beaches for turtle tracks, the rapid response team who worked tirelessly to rescue and relocate the nests, and wildlife rehabilitators who helped care for and release these tiny baby turtles.
"It takes a community to care for and protect these vulnerable animals, and the community has delivered."
Quotes attributable to NSW TurtleWatch Project Officer, Merryn Dunleavy:
"More than 300 hours were spent on the beach monitoring, rescuing and relocating these eggs in the lead up to now Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Our team worked around the clock in heavy rain, waves and wild and windy conditions, to ensure these nests could be relocated to safety.
"Each of our nests are very loved by our local communities so it was great to confirm to them that the nests had been rescued and will now have a chance at survival.
"For our rescued nests that have already hatched, we have seen hatching success rates between 85 and 96 per cent."
