What is a flatback turtle?
The flatback turtle is a sea turtle that nests only in Australia. It has a flatter, smoother shell than other sea turtles and lives in shallow waters of the continental shelf across northern Australia.
Flatbacks have an olive-grey shell with upturned edges and grow to about one metre long. Unlike most sea turtles, they do not travel into the open ocean as hatchlings, staying instead in coastal waters, which may help explain why they are found only around Australia and nearby New Guinea.
They nest on beaches across northern Australia, from Western Australia's Pilbara and Kimberley to the Northern Territory and Queensland. Important rookeries include Crab Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Barrow Island in Western Australia.
Big eggs, fewer hatchlings
Flatbacks lay fewer but larger eggs than other sea turtles, about 50 per clutch. Their hatchlings are bigger, which may help them avoid predators in shallow coastal waters.
They feed on soft-bodied animals such as sea cucumbers, soft corals and jellyfish.
The species is listed as vulnerable in Australia. Threats include fishing nets, coastal development, light pollution confusing hatchlings, and feral pigs and goannas digging up nests. Community monitoring at beaches such as Cemetery Beach in Port Hedland helps protect them.
Did You Know?
The flatback's scientific name, Natator depressus, means flattened swimmer.