Remember when spotting a turtle was a holiday thrill? Now they’re washing up sick and dying
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Dead and dying turtles have been appearing along the Port Stephens coastline, leaving locals shaken and experts searching for answers.
The animals show alarming symptoms, but no one yet knows why they are falling ill.
Three more turtles were recently discovered—two already dead and one clinging to life.
The sick turtle was taken to Sea Shelter, a not-for-profit rescue centre, where co-founder Lia Pereira hoped it could provide much-needed clues.
‘We finally have a live one as of yesterday,’ Lia told Yahoo News. ‘It’s hopefully going to help us solve it. We’re still waiting on results.’
Time, however, was against the team, with most turtles succumbing within one or two days of arriving in care.
Even in death, Lia explained that post-mortem examinations could shed light on the mysterious illness.
The trouble began weeks after heavy flooding in late May, but the majority of turtle deaths had occurred over the past month.
‘The common factor is the huge rainfall, the extended periods of rainfall that we’re having,’ Lia said, though she feared the explanation was more complex.
‘If it was just a water quality issue, we would've known instantly.
‘Is it just about weather and all these different things are happening? Or, because of the similarities in the symptoms, is there something more sinister going on?’
Locals, too, had been witnessing the tragedy unfold before their eyes.
Sue Fidler, who runs Bay Harbour Cafe in Nelson Bay, spotted a sick turtle drifting outside the venue on 13 August and quickly reported it to Sea Shelter.
She revealed it was not the first turtle she had come across—her team had already discovered one dead a week earlier.
‘We police our little patch vigorously,’ she said.
A local fishing business also posted a video on social media showing a lifeless turtle floating in the water, describing the sight as ‘concerning’.
‘Investigations are underway, but it’s a worrying sight—especially with Port Stephens being the stronghold for turtles in NSW,’ they wrote.
Reports confirmed that the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water continued to investigate the outbreak.
Anyone who encountered a sick or dead turtle in the region was urged to contact Sea Shelter or Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters on (02) 4982 2476, or NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS).
Floods were already suspected to play a role in the wave of sick turtles, raising concerns about how extreme weather leaves lasting damage on the environment.
It’s not just marine life at risk—some common flood defences can create new problems of their own.
One recent report revealed how a widely used method may be putting beaches and wildlife in danger.
Read more: Sandbag warning: How common flood defence could put beaches, wildlife at risk
The unexplained deaths of these turtles leave a haunting question—how long before the mystery takes an even greater toll?
The animals show alarming symptoms, but no one yet knows why they are falling ill.
Three more turtles were recently discovered—two already dead and one clinging to life.
The sick turtle was taken to Sea Shelter, a not-for-profit rescue centre, where co-founder Lia Pereira hoped it could provide much-needed clues.
‘We finally have a live one as of yesterday,’ Lia told Yahoo News. ‘It’s hopefully going to help us solve it. We’re still waiting on results.’
Time, however, was against the team, with most turtles succumbing within one or two days of arriving in care.
Rescuers race clock as turtle mystery deepens. Image source: Sue Fidley/Bay Harbour Cafe
Even in death, Lia explained that post-mortem examinations could shed light on the mysterious illness.
The trouble began weeks after heavy flooding in late May, but the majority of turtle deaths had occurred over the past month.
‘The common factor is the huge rainfall, the extended periods of rainfall that we’re having,’ Lia said, though she feared the explanation was more complex.
‘If it was just a water quality issue, we would've known instantly.
‘Is it just about weather and all these different things are happening? Or, because of the similarities in the symptoms, is there something more sinister going on?’
Locals, too, had been witnessing the tragedy unfold before their eyes.
Sue Fidler, who runs Bay Harbour Cafe in Nelson Bay, spotted a sick turtle drifting outside the venue on 13 August and quickly reported it to Sea Shelter.
She revealed it was not the first turtle she had come across—her team had already discovered one dead a week earlier.
‘We police our little patch vigorously,’ she said.
A local fishing business also posted a video on social media showing a lifeless turtle floating in the water, describing the sight as ‘concerning’.
‘Investigations are underway, but it’s a worrying sight—especially with Port Stephens being the stronghold for turtles in NSW,’ they wrote.
Reports confirmed that the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water continued to investigate the outbreak.
Anyone who encountered a sick or dead turtle in the region was urged to contact Sea Shelter or Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters on (02) 4982 2476, or NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS).
Floods were already suspected to play a role in the wave of sick turtles, raising concerns about how extreme weather leaves lasting damage on the environment.
It’s not just marine life at risk—some common flood defences can create new problems of their own.
One recent report revealed how a widely used method may be putting beaches and wildlife in danger.
Read more: Sandbag warning: How common flood defence could put beaches, wildlife at risk
The unexplained deaths of these turtles leave a haunting question—how long before the mystery takes an even greater toll?
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