Baby turtle shows true grit on its hatchling journey to ocean at Heron Island
Suellen Hinde - Queensland Editor |
Humans are not the only ones battling the weather right now.
This baby turtle fought strong westerly winds to make it to the open sea after hatching last weekend on World Heritage-listed marine park, Heron Island.
Thousands of turtles use the island, located 89 kilometres offshore from Gladstone, as a breeding ground from December to April.
Just one baby turtle for every thousand that hatches on the beach will survive, according to scientific estimates.
But this little hatchling is determined he is going to be the one to defy the odds.
Scores of baby turtles have been hatching on Heron Island and along the Great Barrier Reef at the moment. The lifecycle of a sea turtle is typically divided into eggs (nesting), hatchlings, juvenile and adult.
“Turtle season on Heron Island has been epic, multiple eruptions of turtle hatchlings at sunrise and sunset with thousands of beautiful little hatchlings making their way out to the open sea,” a spokeswoman for Heron Island Resort said.
“Seeing turtle hatchlings scurrying down the beach is definitely the highlight for most of our guests of their holiday to the Great Barrier Reef and Heron Island.”
Mother turtles will lay around 100 eggs before returning to the sea after covering their nests with sand to protect them from prey.
The sea turtle hatchlings come out of their shell after approximately 6-12 weeks in the sand depending on the species.
The hatchlings dig their way to the top of the sand and desperately head to deeper water in the ocean to improve their chance of survival – with no help from their parents.
