NEW YORK: The baby flatback turtle climbs out of its sandy nest and stares at the perilous shore with a look that says “bring it on”.
Even before they’re born, these blue-eyed beauties are built to withstand the greatest dangers of Australia’s northern continental shelf.
A flatback mother puts her energy into laying fewer but larger eggs than other turtle species to ensure her babies have the best start in life.
They’re also born with a serrated shell and a feisty attitude that helps them fight off predators like sea eagles.
It’s the unique characteristics and habits of these little Aussie nippers that has attracted Florida-based researchers Mike Salmon and Jeanette Wyneken to study how they grow and where they go.
Over the next three months, 31 flatback hatchlings will be on display at the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) before being tagged and released into the sea.
Wyneken said the turtles demonstrated their pint-sized tenacity when they were collected from a beach in northern WA.“You stick your hand in the nest, they haven’t come out yet, and you’re getting bitten,” she said.
“The fact it’s taking on something that’s bigger than it and biting is impressive so I kind of like their attitude.”
While most turtles live in open ocean, flatbacks stay close to the coast where there is more food and predators, which could explain why they’re rougher and tougher, Professor Salmon said.
And unlike other turtles, which can relax further out at sea, the shallow water-dwelling flatbacks never stop swimming.
