General News
14 November, 2026
Breeding season starts
IT’S sea turtle breeding and nesting season on some of Cassowary Coast beaches with female turtles beginning to come ashore to lay their eggs.
“Soon we’ll also see hatchlings emerging from their nests and making their way towards the ocean,” a council statement said.
It said there were a few simple ways to help protect them throughout the nesting season:
Keep lights low – artificial lighting can disorient turtles and hatchlings
Give turtles space – watch quietly from a distance and keep their path to the ocean clear
Stick to the wet sand – stay on sand closer to the water, avoid disturbing nests higher up the beach
Look, don’t touch – let hatchlings make their own way to the ocean
Spotted a sick or injured turtle? You can help by reporting it to the marine wildlife stranding hotline on 1800 130 372, so it can receive the appropriate care.
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The coast’s shorebird and seaturtle monitoring volunteers have been hitting the beach for evening shorebird season monitoring, keeping an eye out for the feathered coastal residents, from tiny red-capped plovers to flocks of little terns.
“Please keep vehicles off the beach and walk on the wet sand where possible, away from nesting areas,’ the statement said.
“Shorebird eggs, chicks and turtle nests can be incredibly hard to spot, so a little care goes a long way.”
The council is inviting people to get involved.
“No experience is needed, just an interest in wildlife and a willingness to learn alongside other nature-loving locals,” the statement said.
In the meantime Mamu landsea rangers have been hard at hard work restoring the local environment. They’re planting around 2500 native plants on land previously used for banana farming and helping restore riparian vegetation along Jingu Creek.
Read More: Cassowary Coast