Discover Turtles at MON REPOS

A Memorable Experience for the Whole Family on Queensland’s Coral Coast!

‘’Who remembers what kind of turtle this is?’’ the ranger asked the kids, the majority of who were sitting on their knees in the sand around her. It’s past bed-time for most of the kids here, but despite this, my seven-year-old quickly recalled the answer.

‘’A Loggerhead!’’ he yelled out excitedly. Shuffling over to me, he asked in a whisper, ‘’Do you think I’ll get to hold one of the eggs?’’

Before I could answer, my daughter (aged four) whispered excitedly, ‘’Can I hold one too?’’

Luckily for them, they did indeed get to hold a turtle egg! The mother turtle laid all 145 of her eggs a little close to the high tide line so to maximise the chance of survival for the hatchlings, the rangers decided to move them higher up in the dunes. We all had the opportunity to carry an egg about 15 metres further up the beach.

The checkout operator at Aldi, the fuel station cashier and countless other random strangers were all treated to random turtle facts by the kids for weeks afterwards.

Heading out on a nightly turtle encounter tour at Mon Repos is a memorable experience for the whole family and should definitely be added to your Australian bucket list!

Turtle Hatchlings

Photo: Tourism & Events Queensland

Each year, from November to March, you too can join Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Rangers at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre near Bundaberg on a guided tour to watch nesting and hatching marine turtles. The nesting occurs from November to January and the hatchlings emerge from January to March.

Mon Repos is a globally-significant site, supporting the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern mainland of Australia. As the most significant loggerhead turtle nesting population in the South Pacific region, the success of the nesting and hatching at Mon Repos is critical to the survival of this endangered species.

What to Expect on the Night

A shuttle bus will take your family from the Mon Repos car park to the new $22 million world-class turtle centre where you will be placed in your Turtle Encounters group for the night. The rangers go out to “do the rounds’’ and when turtle activity is found, return to take the groups out one-by-one.

While you wait your turn, there is plenty to do in the Mon Repos Turtle Centre. Here you can learn about turtles with interactive exhibits or just enjoy the cafe and gift shop. The interactive exhibits are family-friendly, modern and feature a Junior Discovery zone. The kids can also read books or play with kinetic sand in a standup sandbox.

The adventure really begins when the ranger returns for your group! Feeling your way down a wooden boardwalk to the beach in the dark is all part of the adventure. It’s important to turn off all lights, including mobile phones, as the light confuses the turtles.

In the nesting season from November to January, you will witness the mother turtle lay her eggs, averaging 120 - 130 at a time.

Turtle Hatchling making its way to the ocean

Photo: Jewels Lynch/Tourism & Events Queensland

If she lays them in a spot that the rangers feel make them vulnerable, they will be carefully transferred to a more appropriate location a little further up the beach. Your group may get the opportunity to help!

Rangers will take measurements of the turtle and record data. If she has been previously tagged, they will radio back to base to get information on the turtle’s age and history. There is a small opportunity to take photographs but for the most part, devices are packed away for the sake of the turtles.

When our turtle had laid her eggs and covered them back over with sand, the ranger indicated for the group to part and the massive loggerhead slowly made her way back down the beach to the waters edge in the dark. We followed quietly at a safe distance and lit only by moonlight, she could easily be mistaken for a large rock when she paused to take a break.

My kids held hands as they followed her down the beach, a little afraid of the dark and keeping close to the ranger.

I was very aware this was a special moment for both them and myself ... to have the privilege of witnessing such a wonder of nature.

The mother turtle, who at 39 years weighed around 100kg, made the journey from the sand dune to the waters edge look hard. When she reached the depth of water that allowed her to move easier, she disappeared under the water and quickly moved out of sight.

Mon Repos beach access

Photo: Tourism & Events Queensland

I like to think she heard us clapping and cheering as she reappeared and quickly disappeared back under the water one last time.

Back at the visitor centre , we had one last look around before the shuttle bus took us back to the carpark. By now, it was a couple of hours past the kid’s usual 7 pm bed-time and both fell asleep in the car, only to be carried to bed in the day’s clothes.

Light Pollution is a BIG Problem for Turtles

At night, hatching find their way from the nest to the ocean by moving towards the lightest horizon they see. If a landscape is untouched, this will be over the ocean and the hatchlings will travel quickly in the right direction.

However, nesting beaches are often found near camping areas, towns and resorts and the artificial lights on the horizon can confuse the turtles. The hatchlings can head in the wrong direction and as dawn approaches, chances of survival are minimal. They become exhausted from wandering around, overheat or become a meal for a hungry bird.

We can make a difference by cutting the glow of lights during the breeding season. Whether you are a visitor, business or local resident, switch off unnecessary lights, close the curtains, face lights away from the beach, plant vegetation to create a light barrier and only use a small torch on the beach.

Mother Turtle

Photo: Lauren Bath/Tourism & Events Queensland

INFORMATION

Where is Mon Repos?

It’s just over four hours north of Brisbane and 15 minutes east of Bundaberg on the east coast of Australia. (Yes, home to THE Bundaberg Rum).

I need baby turtles in my life! How do I get tickets?

The guided turtle encounters run seven nights-a-week during turtle tour season from November to late March. Bookings are essential and can be made online through the Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre, or by phoning 1300 722 099. Aim to arrive no later than 6:30 pm for shuttle bus transfer to the turtle centre.

Turtle Eggs

Photo: Lauren Bath/Tourism & Events Queensland