Susanna Freymark
Leann Spencer has lived in Evans Head for more than four years. Every morning, as the sun is coming up, she goes for a beach walk.
On Thursday, November 14, as the fog was lifting, she saw strange tracks in the sand. It looked like car tyres.
On closer inspection, Leann discovered it was a turtle nest and there were 140 golf ball size eggs at the bottom of the large hole.
Leann called the experts. They arrived at the beach and could tell by the tracks that a loggerhead turtle had made the marks with its flippers.
Leann said the nest was below the high tide mark.
The eggs looked like clear, ping pong balls, she said.
The eggs had to be moved otherwise they would have drowned.
The rescuers moved the eggs to a safe place further up the beach.
Leann is a regular on the beach at Evans Head. She picks up rubbish.
Now people are calling her Turtle Girl. She laughs.
NSW Turtle Watch gave an update on the loggerhead turtle.
“NSW Turtle Watch has excavated the eggs from the nest as they were too close to the high tide mark. All 140 eggs have been safely moved to higher, safer ground where they will be monitored everyday for tides, temperatures and predators until they hatch next year.
“The last nest that hatched here back in 2022 survived the floods and out of 115 eggs, only five didn’t make it which was a miracle. Rest assured they’re in very good hands.”
If anyone sees more turtle tracks, call NSW Turtle Watch on the 24-hour hotline on 0447 877 149.
Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue is also looking for volunteers.
See the poster below.
