Ngarla

Transcription

Welcome to Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park. Parks and Wildlife are managing this important marine park with traditional owners, the Nyungumarta, Karrijarri and Ngala people. This park will protect important values like Aboriginal culture, and important plants and animals like flatback turtles, migratory shorebirds and mudflat communities. Hello, this is our country, Nyungumarta country. We are working with Parks and Wildlife to monitor the flatback turtles at Eighty Mile Beach. Please respect the turtle when she’s nesting Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park is an important nesting and feeding ground for the flatback turtles. Every year, thousands of turtles make their way up the beach to lay their eggs, making it one of the most important nesting sites in the Kimberley. As you stroll along the beach during the day, you will be able to trace their tracks from the water to the sand dunes and back again. Nesting season is between October and December, where the female turtle will come up to the beach at night time to lay about 50 eggs. These eggs will hatch six to eight weeks later, between January and March. As visitors to the park you can get involved and help to protect the flatback turtle by joining our volunteer monitoring program. To get the best viewing experience, there are a few easy steps that you can take. By following the Parks and Wildlife Turtle watchers code of conduct, we can make sure that the turtle is not disturbed during this important stage of the lifecycle. Let’s work together to protect this threatened species. When you see a turtle coming out of the water or crawling along the beach, crouch low to the ground, move slowly and respect her space. Keep a distance of at least 15 metres as she starts to dig her nest with her front flippers, spraying a lot of sand around. Be patient during this time – she may move around and start to dig a nest at many locations before choosing the right spot. When the turtle is laying her eggs, you can slowly move closer, staying low and behind her. At this stage you can use a red torch light to watch the eggs dropping into the egg chamber. Once the eggs have been laid, stay still and give the turtle room to cover and camouflage her nest. When the turtle is returning to the ocean keep a good distance away and always follow her from behind. Parks and Wildlife and the Traditional Owners hope that you enjoy your turtle watching experience at the Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park.