Mon Repos - The Sea Turtle Rookery

Just 15 kms from Bundaberg, in central Queensland is the most extra ordinary Sea Turtle Rookery. The turtles have used this area (as well as other areas of north Queensland and The Great Barrier Reef) as a nesting ground for centuries, and it is recognised around the world for the research on turtles that use this area.

There is a Visitors Centre where rangers provide information and guidance to visitors interested in exploring the area and learning about these sea creatures.

There are a number of varieties of sea turtles and Loggerhead, Flatback, Green and Leatherback varieties use this area to nest.

The turtles appear from the sea on dusk - huge beasts pulling themselves slowly up the beach to find a spot in the sand dunes to patiently dig their nest (a deep hole in the sand), over which they balance and lay the eggs. The task must be a huge burden on these animals, it seems to be a slow and perhaps painful and tiring expedition. One by one the eggs drop into the hole, and when she is finished, she flips the sand over the hole until it is totally covered. Then she makes the long trip back to the sea, and never sees her offspring.

Weeks later, the tiny turtles hatch out of their eggs, dig their way out of the sand, and flip their way along the sand to the sea. Sadly many do not survive - as sea creatures including sharks can be waiting off shore, to feast on these new babies.

The turtles come ashore all along the coast here, but those that choose to nest in the rookery, are “supervised” and details collected for research. At night, guided tours are conducted by the Rangers, so that these wonderful sea creatures are treated with dignity and respect.

This surely is one of the great wonders of the world, and if you visit the area between November 1st and March 31st, make sure that you add this trip to your itinerary.