MORE than 700 tiny green sea turtles have hatched on Fitzroy Island and swam to freedom on the Great Barrier Reef in Tropical North Queensland.
Fitzroy Island Resort marine biologists Jen Moloney and Azri Saparwan have been monitoring seven turtle nests on the island which were laid over a three-month period by a green turtle called Yasi who is believed to be up to 70 years old.
Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre volunteers christened the turtle Yasi in 2011 when seven of her nine nests on Fitzroy Island were destroyed during Cyclone Yasi.
The marine biologists said Yasi did not return until November last year when she laid the first nest. She came back every one to two weeks to lay another, with the last nest laid on January 29.
Because Yasi was the only turtle nesting on Fitzroy Island, predators such as goannas and birds have not come looking for the eggs and hatchlings giving these youngsters a good start in life.
Only one in 1000 turtles reach the age of 30, which is when green sea turtles start to reproduce. Around this age Yasi's daughters will be guided back to Fitzroy Island by their internal GPS to lay their eggs where they were born.
Tours operate daily at the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre so visitors to the island can meet Jet, an eight-year-old green sea turtle rescued off Fitzroy Island in July 2017, and learn about the threats to turtles on the Great Barrier Reef.
Turtles can also be seen in the wild at Fitzroy Island with snorkellers likely to see green sea turtles and the occasional hawksbill turtle in Welcome Bay and at Nudey Beach.
The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured turtles.
The centre runs daily tours at 1pm for up to 15 guests. Bookings can be made only on the day at the island's general store. Cost $8.80 adult, $5.50 child (4-13 years).