Lady Musgrave - Turtle nesting season...

The first night we made it ashore we found a large Green Turtle laying her eggs in the sand surrounded by a small group of school students who were camped on the island.

We missed the turtle coming up the beach and digging her nest, but we stayed with her until she had finished laying and was on her way back down to the waters edge.

Eric enjoyed the show and even managed to stay quite for an hour or so. He was getting a little tired by the end, but he woke up rather quickly at one point to asked loudly why the turtle was flicking sand at him!

Emily and Ryan's own experience in 2011 had taught them to stand back after a turtle stops laying her eggs. I wonder if Eric will remember for next time?

Green Turtles Nesting

Last night Nick took the kids ashore on Lady Musgrave Island at 10:30 pm. The moon was up, the tide was coming in, it was a perfect night for a spot of turtle watching.

They saw a small Manta Ray in the lagoon under the dinghy on the way in. That in itself made the trip worthwhile, but the true highlight of the night was watching several Green Turtles in various stages of nesting in the sand at the top of the beach.

Nick and the kids stayed ashore for four hours (we decided not to take Eric in, as his Cockatoo-like screeching would have been enough to scare away every Green Turtle within 50 nm.... causing some sort of drastic population decline that'd be talked about for years to come), and were able to quietly watch the whole process of a turtle coming ashore, dragging herself up the beach, choosing a site, digging a hole with her flippers, laying her 100 or so eggs, filling in the nest, and then making the arduous journey back down the beach to the water.

Nick tried to convince the kids that he'd probably seen these same turtles being born about 30 years ago on Lady Musgrave Island (adult female turtles returning to where they were born to reproduce from the age of about 30 years onwards). The kids were dubious at first, but came round to the idea in the end. Only time will tell if the kids will make the journey back out here to say the same thing to someone else!

Tuesday's Turtles

We all got up just before 5 am this morning, and went ashore to see if we could glimpse any of the turtles laying their eggs on Lady Musgrave Island. We knew we'd left it a bit late, but we were all a bit pooped after our early start and long journey the day before.

As luck would have it there were still a few turtles on the beach, although they'd finished laying their eggs, and had commenced the long trip back to the water. It was still lovely to sit up on the beach and watch their slow progress.

This lady obviously had a hair appointment (or knew the sun was on its way) because she made very good time on her way back out into the water...

This poor old girl had got a bit turned around and had a long trek in front of her to get around this coral ledge before the sun got her...

A lovely shot of one of the island's resident Black Noddy Terns at home, captured by Emily on her camera.

A beautiful Najat Sunrise in Lady Musgrave Lagoon


We'll try and get our act together and go ashore later tonight or earlier tomorrow morning to see if we can catch some of the egg laying in progress.

It is a scorcher here today, barely any wind and not a cloud in the sky. A beautiful day to go swimming!