GBR – doing my bit for the Whitsundays!

Being away from the hustle & bustle of my home town of Melbourne, I’ve found living in the Whitsundays is so unique & so beautiful.  I’ve been fortunate enough to live so close to & learn so much about the Great Barrier Reef.  I’ve become so intrigued with our stunning surrounds that I have become involved in both Marine Conservation with the AMCS as a Sea Guardian & have also been working as a volunteer at the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre for the past 8 months.

The WTRS was launched at Eco Barge HQ in May 2013, to ensure that any sick or injured marine turtles are provided the care that they need.  The Centre has five quarantine tanks, with 55 turtles being received for care since opening.   My duties as a Turtle Carer include feeding, medicating & nursing the Turtles, cleaning their tanks, and assisting in re-homing ounce they are recovered from their injury or illness.

It has been a wonderful job, so fulfilling, but also so heartbreaking to see the affect that pollution, fishing gear (line, nets, crab pots), boat strike, illegal hunting, unsustainable traditional hunting, coastal development etc, has has had on these beautiful creatures.  Some other causes for hospitalisation include disease, shark bite & nesting/hatching problems.

Find out more about the AMCS & the WTRS.

Please keep our oceans clean!

J x

Releasing Kankama, a Green Turtle we nursed for float being released after 6 months in our care. Jan 2015, Langford Reef, near Hayman Island.

With “Jem”, a Green Turtle in our care for float (buoyancy issues due to digestive problems) 2014, WTRS.