Mission to save bay's turtles

When Susie Bedford moved to the Redcliffe Peninsula in 2021, she brought with her decades of experience in rescuing turtles which was soon discovered and put to good use.

In the lead-up to World Wildlife Day on March 3, we are shining a light on her efforts.

The former marine biologist and science teacher has worked with turtles for more than 20 years, primarily in Western Australia.

Before retiring and making the move east, she lived at Exmouth and helped co-found the Ningaloo Turtle program.

The program monitors three species of turtles – Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Green – primarily during the nesting season from beginning of November until the end of February.

She and the team were also involved in rescues.

Susie moved to the Peninsula to be close to family and it seems she was destined to help turtles here as well.

“One day, down on Scotts Beach, there was a dead turtle and somebody had posted about it on one of the community (social media) pages, saying they thought it was still alive,” she recalls.

“I thought I would have a look … then I posted and said it was a female green (turtle) and it’s dead, I’m afraid.

“I think it was Mike Croft from Turtles of Moreton Bay who contacted me and said you obviously know about turtles.”

Soon after, Susie joined the group.

Turtles of Moreton Bay has a Facebook page which aims to educate the public and is under the umbrella of Redcliffe Environmental Forum.

Trained volunteers are primarily involved in rescues because turtles do not generally nest in this area anymore, instead opting to lay their eggs further north.

“Generally, when there’s one (to be rescued) around here on the Redcliffe Peninsula, we find out about it either contacted by Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) or from members of the public,” Susie says.

She has a turtle sling in her car, so she can respond when needed, and says calls for assistance have spiked this summer.

“I think we’ve done six in the past two months, which is too many,” Susie says.

“The sad thing is a lot of the turtles which wash up are the result of boat strikes.”

Susie says there was a turtle rescued from the beach near Redcliffe Jetty on January 17 following a boat strike which resulted in a wound which was 42cm long, 4cm wide and 5cm deep.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife officers assisted with the rescue and the turtle was taken to Sea World for closer examination and treatment. Sadly, it had to be euthanized.

“With boat strikes, it’s very important that people try to keep a lookout for turtles on the surface, particularly during mating season when they’re on the surface a lot more,” Susie says.

“This is probably why we get more (boat strikes) over summer which is the mating season.”

She says boaties should ‘Go Slow for Those Below’, referencing a slogan used by DETSI a few years ago.

Susie says propellor guards are useful in protecting turtles and boats from damage but won’t work if a vessel is travelling too fast.

Other threats posed by human behaviour include discarded plastic bags, other plastics and balloons, and fishing equipment including line, hooks and crab pots.

If you find a sick, injured or dead turtle, phone DETSI on 1300 130 372 or Wildlife Rescue Queensland on 0478 901 801.

To learn more about turtles, follow Turtles of Moreton Bay on Facebook.

To become a volunteer, visit redenviroforum.org