Gentle yet ecstatic exclamations of excitement were shared at the Maroochydore Depot on 13 August, when Leigh Warneminde placed the first turtle egg of an unexpected winter clutch into an improvised egg candling box, and the team discovered it was viable.
Over the past three weeks, Sunshine Coast Council has looked after a clutch of 93 eggs, believed to belong to an endangered Loggerhead female turtle.
The eggs have been incubated in a safe space, with specific temperature and humidity control, in case they were viable.
President of Coolum and North Shore Coast Care (CANSCC), Leigh Warneminde joined Sunshine Coast Council TurtleCare Conservation Officers Kate Hofmeister and Dr Simone Bosshard, and together they analysed each egg, discovering that 84 are, in fact, viable.
“It is so exciting that not only have we had a winter nest, which is pretty much unheard of, now the icing on the cake is that these eggs are actually growing beautifully as little embryos,” Ms Warneminde said.
This out-of-season turtle nest has puzzled turtle experts across the state, as it is the first recorded during a winter season along the east coast.
Council officers sought advice from the Queensland Government’s top turtle researcher, Dr Col Limpus, as soon as the clutch was discovered on 22 July.
“Dr Limpus recommended incubation to see if the eggs are viable, as we knew that if the eggs remained in the sand, they would all perish due to the cold temperatures,” Dr Bosshard said.
Ms Hofmeister said that the team has been monitoring the eggs daily.
“We’ve been ensuring they’re kept at an ideal temperature and humidity in the hopes that they become strong, female hatchlings,” she said.
The baby turtles will then be released back into the ocean, within hours of emerging.
