Australian Seabird Rescue to release sea turtles
Over the past couple of months Ballina-based Australian Seabird Rescue volunteers have been hard at work dealing with a record number of sea turtles (28) in care.
Nine turtles are ready and will return to the wild on Thursday, March 26.
This includes ‘Iris’, the first breeding-age female turtle to be returned to the wild by ASR, and four hatchlings – a fitting way to end to the local turtle nesting season on the North Coast.
Keith Williams, Acting General Manager, said: “Turtles don’t reach breeding age until 30 years old.
“As turtle populations decline around the world the larger turtles are becoming a rarer sight and this makes the species even more vulnerable to extinction. ‘Iris’ is around 40 years old and has many years of breeding ahead of her.”
Five turtles will be returning to the ocean on the morning of March 26 at 8am from The Pass at Byron Bay and four hatchlings will be released under the cover of darkness that night.
