Marine Species Conservation
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National: Endangered
Queensland: Endangered
Western Australia: Specially Protected Fauna
Based on information collected from the east coast, the loggerhead turtle has lost 50-80% of its annual nesting population in the last decade. Further loss of only hundreds of large loggerhead turtles annually may threaten the survival of the species in eastern Australia.
Loggerheads occur in coral reefs, bays and estuaries in tropical and warm temperate waters off the coast of Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales.
In Australia, loggerheads nest on the southern Great Barrier Reef and adjacent mainland coastal areas, including Bundaberg, Wreck Island, Erskine Island, Tryon Island, Wreck Rock beach and Pryce Cay. Other significant nesting areas are in Western Australia including Murion Island and further south near Shark Bay.
Females originally tagged near the south east Queensland rookeries have been recaptured in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and other parts of Queensland.
Loggerheads tagged in Western Australia have been recaptured in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Indonesia.
In south eastern Queensland, mating starts about late October, reaching a peak from November to early December. Loggerhead turtles nest from late October, reaching a peak in late December and finish nesting in late February or early March. Hatchlings emerge from nests from late December until about April with most hatching from February to early March.
Loggerheads are carnivorous, feeding mostly on shellfish, crabs, sea urchins and jellyfish.