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Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Island closed for turtle breeding season

(From abc.net.au)- Masthead Island is a breeding ground for the endangered marine turtles, as well as seabirds like wedge-tailed shearwaters, black noddies and bridled terns. The EPA”s Damon Shearer says the area has been closed to reduce the impact on nesting females and the hatchlings when they are born.

“Human disturbance can affect the birds and the turtles in that area, so it’s quite important that they’re left to do what they need to do over that time,” he said.

Mr Shearer says boaties also need to keep an eye out for marine turtles that might be finding their way back to the water.

“Quite often the female turtles will strand themselves up onto the beach just to get away from admiring males basically and quite often they’ll just return to the water on the following tide,” he said.

“So even though they do look like they’re up on the beach stranded they’re actually probably just taking a rest or escaping the male’s attention.”

 

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