Endangered turtles saved in SW set free in Ningaloo

Five baby loggerhead turtles that were rescued after being swept ashore in the South West were given a new lease on life last week when they were released back into the big blue up north.

The turtles were among the many that find themselves lost and far from home each year after they hatch up north and often become trapped by the Leeuwin Current that takes them down south.

Storms and other factors can wash the endangered turtles ashore and if the are not found in time, the babies can die.

Members of the public saved the turtles last year when they reported them to the Parks and Wildlife Service, which sent the lucky bunch to Perth Zoo for vets’ assessment before they were transferred to rehabilitation centres at AQWA and Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre.

Bunbury volunteers and aquarists spent the past six to nine months rehabilitating the turtles and preparing them for life back in the wild, with local residents and tourists able to check in on the progress at the centre along the way.

The rescued turtles were successfully released back into their natural habitat last Thursday at Ningaloo Marine Park, with three of them sporting satellite transmitters on their shells to track their movements after release for the next six months.

The tag and release operation aims to help scientists better understand loggerhead turtles’ habitat and movements as part of a conservation effort to support the vulnerable marine species.