Turtle experience revisited

John and I had an amazing experience at Bargara this afternoon. We were enjoying an absolutely perfect beach afternoon at Kelly's Beach in Bargara when a gentleman announced that a clutch of turtle eggs had hatched and steer clear of the babies.

So we were able to see this amazing act of nature without any human interaction. The program at the Mon Repos was somewhat staged in that the rangers look for hatchling or laying opportunities and then have the group they are leading out to the area where it's happening. It all felt a little staged and 

somewhat manipulated as they "held" the hatchlings in a chicken wire enclosure while we all got to the spot where they were hatching. 

Swimming to the ocean

This was the real experience. So wonderful to be there, not expecting anything like this to happen, and there it was unfolding before us. The people on the beach just steered clear of the hatchlings as they made their way to the ocean, careful of their dogs and children, using it as a learning experience.

The Mon Repos rangers said that the turtles needed to head to the ocean by way of moonlight, BUT, this was 4pm in the afternoon, the sun was behind them, and they still headed to the water. Hmmmm, I wonder if it's the smell of the water, not the light, that they use to guide them. I also wonder if they know less of why they behave the way they do than they let on.

We knew that these turtles laid their eggs up and down the various beaches along this stretch of the coast, but to be at the right place at the perfect time was just amazing. 

Enjoy the show!