Hatching, nesting, swimming: Ultimate guide to turtle travel in Qld
It’s turtle time and beachgoers are in the box seat to catch one of Australia’s most incredible wildlife experiences. Here’s everything you need to know.
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Turtle season has arrived and beachgoers are in the box seat to catch one of Australia’s most incredible wildlife experiences.
While we have our very own Gold Coast hatchlings brewing in the sand at Palm Beach, the best way to see sea turtles nesting and hatching is to visit the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Here’s everything you need to know to catch nature’s show:
CHOOSE THE BEST BASE
Mon Repos, near Bundaberg, boasts the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles in eastern Australia.
If you’re after a guided experience, solid success rate and mainland location, it’s an easy road trip away.
Stay a stone’s throw from the action at new nature resort Turtle Sands, with a mix of villas, glamping, studios, and caravan and campsites tucked behind the dunes.
The southern Great Barrier Reef islands steal the show for organic encounters, with a high probability you’ll score a special moment to yourself.
Heron Island and its more exclusive neighbour Wilson Island are significant nesting sites for green and loggerhead turtles.
Getting here is a bit more of a slog – from the Gold Coast brace for a plane, bus and boat travel trifecta – but the reward is worth the extra effort.
The island’s sandy perimeter is easy to walk around if you’re on turtle patrol and the sheer number of nesters gives you the best possible odds.
If swimming with turtles is your priority, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort should be at the top of your wishlist.
You’re almost guaranteed to bump into one of its most popular residents in the protected lagoon out the front of its restaurant.
I’ve visited in every season and a snorkel here has never failed to produce an encounter – or a dozen.
Relatively shallow and safe, it’s the perfect place for little ones to dip a toe into the water then try their luck to spot a nester at night.
With Lady Elliot Island running daily direct flights from the Gold Coast, you could be on turtle time sooner than you think.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
You can see nesting sea turtles in Queensland from November until early March.
The resulting baby boom runs from January to May, although some mums are late to the party so there’s a bit of wiggle room.
Ideally, book your trip on overlapping dates and you’ve got the chance to see both nesting and hatching in one visit – February is perfect if you’re willing to roll the dice in storm season.
Weather conditions tend to be more settled in autumn and that’s a top time for hatchlings.
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort environmental manager and Master Reef Guide Jess Blackmore said the 2025 season was “off to a great start, with a healthy number of nesting turtles” and their offspring already spied scrambling down beaches.
“The Lady Elliot Island team are actively monitoring both nests and hatchlings to understand the fascinating patterns of turtle season, and we’re seeing daily nesting activity across the island,” she said.
“While it’s a bit smaller than recent years, these fluctuations are all part of the natural cycle.
“We typically get our first nests hatching at the end of December, but the peak is during February where there will also be a crossover between nesting and hatching turtles.
“Turtles will typically still be nesting right through March and hatchlings are seen until the end of April and sometimes through May.”
SUNSET STROLLS AND OTHER TURTLE TIPS
Nesting depends on the tide and other factors, so Mother Nature will decide whether you’re in for a rude wake-up call or more civilised hours.
If you’re embarking on a self-guided adventure on one of the islands, torches and flash photography aren’t allowed, so you’ll need to make your way by moonlight for what Ms Blackmore promises is a “pretty special” sight.
“So far away from the mainland the night sky is incredible,” she said.
“As your eyes adjust to the darkness, the stars reflect on the ocean and seeing the turtles slowly make their way out of the water is a magical sight.
“Their commitment to digging the perfect nest for their hatchlings is their only parental care and seeing how carefully they choose the perfect spot is interesting to watch.
“To be able to see the eggs being laid for the next generation of sea turtles is something that sparks hope for the future.”
If you miss high tide in the wee hours, a sunrise stroll around the island is a chance to see any mothers still nesting (it can take hours!). Look for one-way tractor-tyre-like tracks up the sand.
On the flip side, a sunset stroll along the high tide mark is your best bet for spotting hatchlings.
The feeding frenzy when they emerge from the sand can be a tad confronting, with seabirds, sharks and crabs all vying for a flippered feast.
It wouldn’t hurt to pop an Attenborough doco on for the kids before your trip so they’re not taken by surprise – or sign them up to a junior ranger club at one of the resorts.
It is estimated only one in 10,000 green turtle hatchlings will survive to adulthood.
It’s heart-in-mouth stuff, but everybody loves an underdog and you’ll find yourself cheering the little guys on against those impossible odds.
As tempting as it can be to lend a hand, hatchlings need to make their own way to the water so they can imprint on the environment and return to the beach decades later to have their own offspring.
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