iHerp Australia Issue 1 | Page 23

In our next issue: Loggerheads not lost! The world’s second largest turtle spends almost its entire life at sea, with females emerging only briefly to lay their eggs. In order to do so, Loggerhead Turtles undergo one of the longest seasonal migrations of any marine animal, returning to the beach of their birth to nest. This reliance on scattered nesting beaches renders the species vulnerable, and along with other threats posed by mankind, is responsible for persistent and marked declines in recent years. But an innovative turtle conservation project on WA’s Ningaloo coast is slowly reversing the tide. Karen Hattingh, chief scientist of the Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program , reports that more than 400 turtle nests were documented this season, up from about 300 last year. Travel with iHerp Australia to the Gnaraloo wilderness and discover more about this amazing, ground-breaking program. Image courtesy of Karen Hattingh, Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program.