Mon Repos Conservation Park Bundaberg

4.1stars, rated out of 5

Google reviews (29 total)

Google reviews for Mon Repos Conservation Park

4.1stars, rated out of 5 Write a review

  • 5stars, rated out of 5 Kathleen Sanders
    5 months ago

    Wonderful time here today, we watched a cinematic tour of turtles, hatchlings, and how we can all do our bit to help these creatures. Starting one man at a time to becoming a world wide cause. The cafe offered plenty of choices to eat and drink and the artwork on display was totally stunning, no photography allowed so I cannot add a photo. Go see for yourself, you won't be disapointed. Very helpful staff too. Thank you.

  • 5stars, rated out of 5 Lynette Faragher
    6 months ago

    Wonderful volunteers, lots of information provided. My husband walks with crutches, we had a volunteer assigned to us who ensured we got the full experience. The Centre itself is world class with displays and images to maintain interest while waiting to head for the beach. Good compromise between turtle conservation and public information and propaganda. Money well spent. I would come again.

  • 1stars, rated out of 5 Mermaid Bella
    4 months ago

    As a volunteer and Marine scientist who has worked with the turtles at Mon Repos I can tell you I am disgusted with the way the turtles are treated. Hatchings are killed if someone tags them incorrectly, I was told to gouge the mother turtles eyes to stop her from going back in the water. Not when tourists were around of course. They care more about their research data than the actual well being of turtles.

  • 1stars, rated out of 5 Mullins Family
    6 months ago

    We are now leaving with sad kids and broken hearts! We are a family that travelled across the world for this experience from the United States to Australia with four kiddos hoping to experience this, we attempted to buy tickets and spoke with the representative at the front desk and she was kind and agreed to allow us to watch the turtles hatch! However when she talked to the man in charge, he was the most rude Australian we have met! He made my five year old cry because he said we couldn’t see the turtles. He was extremely stand off ish with his hands on his hips and yelled at my husband twice to leave. And when everyone wanted to allow us to wothness the turtles hatching he came out and said he would not allow it! We may never be back in Australia and I hope this man remembers how he impacted our holiday in Australia. I wish I had his name. But he was on shift on Thursday March 16th,2023 Black hair, thin, tall and oh SOO mean.

  • 5stars, rated out of 5 Kylie Wood
    8 months ago

    5 stars for the magnificent girl laying eggs for her first season. What an amazing thing to experience. It was nature at its best and truly appreciated the opportunity to see it. Just wondering though about the appropriateness of the human contact especially moving the eggs. Was this just part of the tourist show or is it really necessary? Will those eggs survive human interference? Does it happen anywhere else? A little disappointed with how much information the volunteers could offer compared to the marine biologist who took us on a tour with Lady Musgrave tours the day before.

  • More info and reviews

Loggerhead turtle nesting on the Turtle Encounter Tour. Photo credit: Lise Pedersen © Queensland Government

The success of nesting and hatchling turtles at Mon Repos is critical for the survival of loggerhead turtles. Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government

Cut the Glow to help Turtles Go

    Turtle hatchling swimming, photo taken from underneath so the sky can be seen above the underside of the turtle.

    Turtle hatchling.

    Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

    Marine turtles are in trouble—they need our help to survive.

    Taking it slow

    Marine turtles appear to reproduce abundantly as female turtles can lay hundreds of eggs over one nesting season. But turtles grow slowly, they take decades to reach sexual maturity and have on average a 4 year break between breeding seasons. Hatchlings have a low chance of survival with only about 1 in 1000 reaching maturity.

    All these factors make turtles vulnerable to human disturbance. If not enough hatchlings from a nesting area survive to maturity it places the breeding population in jeopardy. Artificial lights interfere with turtle’s natural habits and instincts. You can make a difference by cutting the glow of lights affecting beaches in your local area.

    Glow of lights from a coastal community.

    Glow of lights from a coastal community.

    Photo credit: Paul Beutel, Queensland Government

    Artificial lights

    The majority of both nesting and hatching turtle activity occurs at night—disturbances and danger from predators, both on land and at sea, is lowest under the cover of darkness. This makes turtles vulnerable to disturbance and disorientation from artificial lights.

    Artificial light disturbance can be from a single light directly opposite a nesting beach or from the collective glow of lights from a coastal community.

    Creatures of habit

    Female turtles migrate back to the general area of their birth to nest. Turtles choose their nesting beach while still offshore, before coming on land to lay their eggs—usually remaining loyal to that selected beach every nesting year.

    Bright lights and the glow from coastal communities may make turtles search for a darker beach. This can be a problem as not all beaches are created equal! Some beaches are open to the elements with erosion affecting nests, some are not good incubators for turtle eggs, while others are rockier, making it harder for turtles to dig their nest—causing them to waste valuable energy with each attempt.

    Turtle hatchlings make the journey from the beach to the sea.

    Turtle hatchlings make the journey from the beach to the sea.

    Photo credit: Robert Ashdown, Queensland Government

    Where's the horizon?

    At night, hatchlings find their way from their nest to the sea by moving towards the lightest horizon they see. Under natural conditions, this is over the ocean and hatchlings will quickly travel down the beach to the water.

    On nesting beaches near towns, resorts and camping areas, artificial lights can affect a turtle’s ability to see the natural horizon. Hatchlings become disoriented, veering from their natural path and heading toward the artificial light. Even hatchlings that have made it to the sea can be lured back to the land by strong, coastal lights.

    As dawn approaches, the contrast between artificial and natural light decreases and hatchlings who have been attracted inland do not know where to go. Many will not make it—becoming trapped in vegetation or exhausted from wasting energy during their wanderings. Hatchlings caught on shore may overheat and die or become the next meal of a hungry bird.

    You can make a difference!

    Turtles need dark beaches! They can’t change their behaviour towards light so it’s up to us to help maximise nesting success and hatchling survival.

    During the breeding season (15 October to 30 April) whether you are a resident, visitor or business, you can help cut the glow of lights affecting beaches in your local area.

    From 7.30pm:

    • switch off unnecessary lights
    • close your curtains and blinds
    • use motion sensor lights for external lights
    • position your lights so they face away from the beach
    • plant vegetation to create a light barrier
    • when camping, shade lights to reduce the illuminated area
    • only use a small torch (less than 100 lumens) on the beach.

    Cut the Glow to help Turtles Go!

    Further information

    Mon Repos Turtle Centre
    Phone: (07) 4159 1652