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Australia is home to six of the world's seven species of sea turtle, and all of them can be found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The species found in Australia include the green turtle, the loggerhead turtle, the hawksbill turtle, the flatback turtle, the olive ridley turtle, and the leatherback turtle. While the flatback turtle is only found on the continental shelf of Australia, other species migrate vast distances, with one loggerhead turtle tracked swimming 37,000 kilometres from South Africa to Western Australia. Sea turtles face various threats, including human-driven climate change, which can impact the gender ratio of their offspring, and plastic waste, which can be fatal if ingested.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Species | Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Flatback, Olive Ridley, Kemp's Ridley |
| Regions | Great Barrier Reef, Southern Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Sydney, Coral Sea, Cape Range National Park |
| Migration | Some species migrate vast distances, such as a loggerhead swimming 37,000 km from South Africa to Western Australia |
| Feeding Habits | Feed on jellyfish, squid, sponges, seagrass, algae, sea cucumbers, soft corals, shellfish |
| Breeding | Females crawl onto beaches to lay eggs. Green turtles return to a beach near their birthplace to mate and lay eggs |
| Conservation Status | All species are endangered or vulnerable |
| Threats | Ingesting plastic waste, bycatch in fishing nets, feral animals preying on unhatched turtles, human-driven climate change |
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What You'll Learn
Sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, is home to six of the world's seven species of sea turtles. These include the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, flatback, and olive ridley turtles, all of which are endangered or vulnerable.
The green turtle is a rare icon of the Great Barrier Reef and is found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide. They are mostly herbivores, feeding on algae, seagrass, mangrove fruit, and jellyfish. Green turtles are excellent navigators, using sunlight and temperature to determine their direction. They migrate from their foraging areas to nest every 2 to 5 years, and Raine Island in the Great Barrier Reef sees up to 60,000 female green turtles each nesting season. The southern and northern genetic stocks of green turtles that breed within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park have average annual nesting populations of 8,000 and 30,000 females, respectively.
The loggerhead turtle, named for its large head, has thick jaws that allow it to feed on crustaceans and molluscs. They inhabit subtidal and intertidal coral reefs, rocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and deeper soft-bottomed habitats of the continental shelf. The loggerhead turtles that nest and forage in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area migrate to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Arnhem Land, the Torres Strait, and Papua New Guinea.
Hawksbill turtles feed on the reefs of the Coral Sea Marine Park, while leatherback turtles are frequent visitors to the southern coasts of Australia, including South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. Leatherback turtles have the highest occurrence in southern Australia and appear to be sighted more often in summer and autumn.
The Great Barrier Reef provides a unique opportunity to witness sea turtles in their natural habitat, whether it be splashing around in the waters or laying their eggs on the sandy beaches of Bundaberg. The Mon Repos Turtle Centre in Queensland offers guided tours during the nesting (November to January) and hatching (January to March) seasons, providing a memorable experience for visitors.
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Southern Australian sea turtles
Sea turtles have inhabited the oceans for over 100 million years, dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. They are typically solitary, cold-blooded reptiles that spend most of their time underwater, surfacing to breathe every 20 minutes or so. They are also known for their impressive long-distance migration capabilities, often traversing vast distances between breeding and feeding grounds.
In Southern Australia, sea turtles can be found along the coasts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. The Southern Australian Sea Turtle project, which ran from April 2014, recorded over 209 sea turtle sightings in this region. All species of sea turtle, except the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, have been spotted in these southern waters. Leatherback turtles are the most frequently sighted, with a higher occurrence during summer and autumn.
The presence of sea turtles in Southern Australia is intriguing because the region lies far from their nearest breeding sites. However, it is speculated that some species, like leatherback turtles, may visit these waters from their tropical breeding areas to feed. This highlights a knowledge gap in our understanding of sea turtle behaviour in this region.
Southern Australia's waters play a significant role in sea turtle migration and foraging. Five out of six sea turtle species have been recorded here, indicating the area's importance for these endangered and vulnerable creatures. The region's marine fauna researchers and database managers collaborate to gather information and contribute to research and conservation efforts for these threatened species.
In addition to Southern Australia, sea turtles can also be found in other parts of the country, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea Marine Park, and the waters around the continental shelf of northern Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Site, is known for its large populations of sea turtles, offering visitors a chance to witness these graceful creatures in their natural habitat.
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Sea turtle sightings in Australia
Sea turtles can be found in the warm waters off the coast of Australia all year round. Six of the world's seven sea turtle species – green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, flatback and olive ridley turtles, all endangered or vulnerable – visit the Coral Sea Marine Park.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to all six species of sea turtles and is, therefore, one of the best places in Australia to have an encounter with turtles. Cairns, in Tropical North Queensland, offers endless snorkelling opportunities to spot turtles in their natural environment. However, if you'd rather stay dry, Fitzroy Island, a short 45-minute boat ride from Cairns, provides the perfect opportunity to swim with turtles in the wild. For those who aren't too keen on getting wet, Glass Bottom Boat Tours depart from Fitzroy Island twice a day.
Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef are a significant nesting location for two threatened sea turtle species, the green turtle and the loggerhead turtle. Nesting season occurs from November to March each year, with hatchlings beginning to emerge in early January. The optimal time to view turtles is at night, two hours each side of the high tide.
The Ningaloo Coast, located in the Cape Range National Park in Exmouth, is a World Heritage-listed site famous for its underwater beauty and Australia's largest and most accessible fringing reef. The region is home to populations of loggerhead, green, hawksbill and flatback turtles, which can be spotted year-round in its warm waters. Turquoise Bay, known as one of Australia's best beaches, is a perfect base for spotting turtles, as you can step just metres into the water with your snorkel and spot them swimming around the coral.
Southern Australia (the coasts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania) lies far from the nearest breeding sites for sea turtles, but turtles may be frequent visitors, coming to the area to feed. All species of sea turtle have been recorded in these southern waters except the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. Leatherback turtles have the highest occurrence and appear to be sighted more often in summer and autumn than the rest of the year.
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Flatback turtles in Western Australia
Sea turtles are found in the warm waters off the coast of Australia all year round. Six of the world's seven sea turtle species – green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, flatback, and olive ridley turtles – are known to visit the Coral Sea Marine Park. Of these, flatback turtles (Natator depressus) are the only species that nest exclusively in Australia. They have the smallest distribution range of all sea turtle species, restricted to the tropical regions of the continental shelf and coastal waters of Northern Australia, Southern Indonesia, and Southern Papua New Guinea.
Flatback turtles are named after their flat carapace, or shell, which sets them apart from other sea turtle species with their curved shells. The carapace of an adult flatback turtle, which weighs around 200 pounds and is about 3 feet long, is pale grayish-green with distinct upturned outer margins. Flatback turtles have the largest eggs and hatchlings relative to their adult body size among all sea turtle species. They are also unique in their physiology, which allows them to stay active underwater for longer periods than most other species.
The largest nesting concentration of flatback turtles is in the north-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria and western Torres Strait. Other rookeries in the Gulf of Carpentaria include the Wellesley Islands and the Western Gulf of Carpentaria. This population of flatback turtles nests all year round, with a peak in mid-year. In the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, from the Lacepede Islands to Exmouth, there is a mid-summer peak nesting season. The primary nesting beaches are distributed from east to west across Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia.
Flatback turtles are considered vulnerable and are protected under national and state legislation. They face various threats, including direct harvest for meat and eggs, entanglement in fishing gear, destruction of nesting beaches from coastal development, pollution, and destruction of their feeding habitats, which include coral reefs and shallow nearshore areas. Conservation efforts, such as those led by non-profit organizations like SEE Turtles, aim to protect sea turtle hatchlings, end the trade of turtleshell, and reduce plastic pollution in their habitats.
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Olive Ridley turtles in Northern Australia
Sea turtles can be found in the warm waters off the coast of Australia all year round. All seven species of sea turtles are endangered or vulnerable. Six of these species—green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, flatback, and olive ridley turtles—can be found in the Coral Sea Marine Park.
Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest sea turtles found in Australia, with a mean curved carapace length of around 70 cm and a weight of about 40 kg. They are olive-grey in colour, with whitish undersides, and their hatchlings are blackish-brown. Olive Ridley turtles are circumtropical, nesting in tropical waters worldwide (excluding the Gulf of Mexico) and migrating through some subtropical waters.
In Northern Australia, Olive Ridley turtles nest in low densities along the Arnhem Land coast of the Northern Territory, including the Crocodile, McCluer, and Wessel Islands, Grant Island, and Cobourg Peninsula. Scattered nesting also occurs in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in Fog Bay, Northern Territory, with low-density nesting in north-western Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. The Tiwi Islands of the Northern Territory are a notable nesting site, with nationally significant numbers of turtles nesting on some beaches.
Breeding for Olive Ridley turtles in Northern Australia occurs from March to October. Nesting biology in this region has been studied by Whiting and colleagues (2005), who monitored the Tiwi Islands for a year. The size of the Australian nesting population has been estimated through aerial survey data, with several thousand nesting females believed to be present in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Sea turtles can be spotted in the Great Barrier Reef, the Ningaloo Coast, and Bundaberg.
Six of the world's seven species of sea turtles can be found in Australia: green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, flatback, and olive ridley turtles.
The diet of sea turtles varies depending on the species and their life stage. Adult green turtles are thought to be entirely herbivorous, feeding on seagrass and algae. Hawksbills feed on sponges, seagrasses, algae, sea cucumbers, soft corals, and shellfish. Leatherbacks eat mainly jellyfish and squid.
Flatback turtles are unique to Australia and are only found on the continental shelf of the country. They have a distinct low-domed flat carapace (shell) with upturned edges and olive-grey flippers and heads.
Sea turtle breeding season in Australia is year-round, with a concentration from November to February.
