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Loggerhead Turtle
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Loggerhead Turtle
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Vulnerable In Western Australian
waters their numbers indicate that they may be vulnerable.
Nationwide the EPBC lists this turtle as
endangered and Worldwide the IUCN Redlist lists this turtle as endangered |
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Photographed at Koombana Bay Dolphin Discovery Centre This may look like a very old turtle but its a baby Loggerhead turtle that was washed up on a beach in Bunbury in the south-west and was taken to Koombana bay Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury where it was treated for a damaged flipper. If it could be released in the future it would be transported back up to the warmer coastal waters near Broome. |
"The main loggerhead breeding sites are found on the Muiron Islands off Exmouth Gulf, and at Dirk Hartog Island in Shark Bay. The loggerhead appears to be the least abundant of the marine turtles found in the Western Australian region."* But individuals can be pushed further south as far as Esperance and washed up onto the beaches. (The Loggerhead turtle is the least abundant of the breeding turtles that migrate to WA). They live for approx 50 years. Reaching sexual maturity from 8-15 years |
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Their shell or carapace length is approx- up to 110cm long. The flippers of this turtle are relatively small for their body size. Its name refers to its large head. |
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What do they eat? These turtles have powerful jaw muscles enabling then to bite through thick mussel shells and coral. They also eat fish, jellyfish, sponges and other crustaceans.
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The turtles mate out at sea and the female comes ashore usually after sunset to lay her fertilized eggs. At Ningaloo in Exmouth we sat on the beach at Yardie Creek in January where on sunset we could see three turtles waiting to come ashore. Unfortunately we don't know which turtle species they were. We waited for quite some time with no lights and due to the large amount of crabs that came up to us we left the beach. |
..."we have generally failed to obtain any substantial data on frequency of nesting by individual females within a nesting season, although we do have some observations showing that turtles can spend up to several months at a breeding site during a nesting season and lay up to four or five clutches (possibly more in some cases)."* |
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Each turtle does not migrate to the same nesting site every year. Due to the coastline of northern Western Australia being so large and the human population being so small the migration route and breeding of turtles is difficult to track. Much work is done by volunteers working with Conservation And Land Management along with the knowledge gained by coastal aboriginals and other marine groups. |
Photographed at Koombana Bay Dolphin Discovery Centre |
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Go Here to see our video of this baby Loggerhead Turtle at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury. There is much to learn and discover about these other turtles that surround our Western Australian coast. If you are mature age you could become involved as a volunteer. If you are younger and want to work with turtles, read all you can about them but more importantly get involved with a centre that rehabilitates turtles even if its just to observe them, and talk to your career councilor at school to see what subjects would help you in a career in marine life or related areas. Go here to see more about this
turtle in Australia |
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Text *Western Australian Marine
Turtle Project Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre |
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All Content, written
and graphical Copyright © Wildlife Education Services 2003. |
