The Mad First Dash To The Ocean
We walked from our campsite through the bush to the Mon Repos Turtle Rookery. When we arrived there were already about 25 people milling about excitedly hoping to see the turtle hatchlings make their mad first dash for the sea. We were not to be disappointed. As soon as we arrived we were told to assemble into our groups as the hatchlings were good to go and on the beach already. We had been warned that we might have been waiting from 6.30pm until 11 0r 12pm before we might get to see anything. These were my kind of turtles, keen, punctual and focussed on getting on with things so they could get an early dinner.
We walked carefully down the beach not wanting to tread on any other hatchlings who had already started their dash. We soon found the nest markings on the sand thanks to our guide.
As we watched the sand started to move and churn and suddenly a heaving squirming mass of little turtle hatchlings started to emerge. They were surprisingly active and ready for action considering they had never seen the light of day or rather dark of night before. As they scrabbled and climbed they started to instinctively head towards the ocean. They formed the most amazing procession over the grassy sand and then down to the beach towards the frothing waves. They were soon washed away into the waves to start their journeys around the coast of Australia and further afield to South America and Indonesia.
It was quite simply amazing.
Photos to follow.
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