Turtle carcass (graphic content)

On Australia day we found this carcass of a sea turtle washed up on the beach. It is so sad to see.

I took the effort to google where the public was supposed to report such a find. The University of Queensland marine research station, so I read, are doing research on the cause of turtle deaths in this area.

They answered my email quite quickly and let me know that they are ill equipped for handling such matters and that I should contact the following organisations:

If dead - Qld Parks and Wildlife hotline on 1300 130 372

If alive - direct them to the RSPCA wildlife hotline 1800 ANIMAL (1300 264 625)

With a 15 minute call I could not get through to anybody from the QLD Parks and Wildlife hotline. But at least I now know that I should hang up and call 000 if I have a life threatening injury. Thanks for that. Hmmm...what number shall I call if a mosquito bites me? I thought that's exactly when I call QLD Parks and Wildlife, type 6 to make a reservation for camping in Southeast Queensland. What if I would like to go camping on the moon? I am disappointed not to get any help from the automated system from QLD Parks and Wildlife, not even how to report the carcass of a washed up sea turtle. Anyway, that was a bit sarcastic. I know they are all doing a good job. But frankly, I will never ever consider it my job again to report anything to the organisations that are or should be in charge.

Maybe it is better to involve the press. And maybe, miraculously, all of a sudden there will be some interest from people that claim to have some authority in this field.

In times of elections, it could be an experiment to contact some local politicians and get their views and let the story be used for their agendas. What does for instance a Green candidate having his official address in Windsor (which is far, far away despite a ridiculously localised voting system) got to say about it?

Maybe it is great for people to see sea turtle carcasses in Wynnum all the time. This is about the fourth individual but it is also the biggest that we have ever seen. I am (or actually were) glad that we have so many of them that we can easily afford to loose a few of them. Do we need to know if it was a floating turtle so we can ban plastic bags (instead of prosecute any littering)? Do we really want to know that this mature turtle was hit by a boat, a jet ski or some other racing device that rockets through the sea and caused this blunt force trauma to the right front part of the animal? The barnacles mainly on the right side indicate that this turtle died a slow death and spent some time in shallow water trying to recover from an impact. Maybe the cause of death was both, plastic bag and senseless boat driving. But for both cases politics and police don't have appropriate or sensible answers anyway.

So, I think it is good to hear that marine research stations are not wasting their time and funding on turtle deaths and that Wildlife is making sure we can book expensive camp grounds on Straddie (may I suggest that they organise the expensive boat ferries too) and stop reporting deceased animals that pose a health and safety hazard in populated areas. Everybody - just deal with it! Just use some common sense and realise that you should not touch it or go too close. Finally, accept or learn that dying is part of nature and that good will come out of it.

Please do apologise for the graphic content. Don't look if you are sensitive to ugly pictures.

1

2

3