MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Natalie Poyhonen – “The coastline of north Queensland is usually picture perfect in winter, but there is a problem in the shallows.

Over the past few months sick, lethargic and sometimes dead sea turtles have been washing up onto the region’s beaches.

Experts are trying to find out what is killing off the animals, but they suspect years of extreme weather may be playing a role and events like Cyclone Yasi have destroyed large tracts of essential seagrass.

Dead and dying turtles washing up on shore is becoming a regular sight for Barbara Gibbs, who lives on Magnetic Island off the coast of Townsville.

‘My daughter and I were so excited seeing this large number of turtles in close, but they just kept hanging in close,’ she said.

‘When we were over our first initial excitement, my daughter remembered that a marine biologist had told her the night before about this problem and them hanging in close like that, because they were right up to our feet, that that meant that they were dying.’

Ms Gibbs says she has come across 20 turtles suffering in the same way over the past two months.” Read more.