January is typically the month when we start to notice a decline in the number of laying turtle females of both loggerhead and leatherback species, and this year is no different. The exchange of laying females for hatching nestlings is a sweet one though, which we anticipate for the rest of the season.

Throughout the research area nesting female numbers are down, but what is slightly concerning is that hatchlings are few and far between at present. This is possibly because of nest predation, the inconspicuous nature of hatchlings, or because it's still early in the hatching season.

With the year now in full swing and most holiday makers back at the grindstone, our turtle drives are whisper-quiet. Each time the turtle guides go out without guests the turtles are either hatching or laying with a vengeance. This stirs so much enthusiasm among the guests that the next drive is packed to the rafters - and we have a no-show from the turtles. But don't be discouraged, the turtles don't discriminate and sooner or later everyone will strike it lucky with either moms or tots.

Weather is a major influence on turtle movements, especially when the turtles are required to leave the sanctuary of the ocean to venture out onto the beach and lay their eggs. With this in mind, it's easy to deduce that the reason for the slightly quieter turtle activity is the windy and wet conditions this month, which are less than ideal for our venerable turtles.

From time to time the turtle drives turn up more than they bargained for and on one particular evening a couple of guests were rewarded with a royal flush: i.e. nesting females of both species - and hatchlings of both species. Other interesting sightings on the turtle drives include a dead spinner dolphin, thought to have succumbed to pregnancy woes; a dead blacktip reef shark and, strangest of all, a rather large 9.5 tonne buoy thought to have come from an offshore rig. All but the buoy are now gone.

Something we never think about is the discomfort turtles must endure whilst heaving their immense bodies up a beach. A creature designed, over a period of 65 million years, to perfectly suit its marine environment doesn't fair very well against the abrasive sea sand. On the left is a picture of a leatherback that laboured against such odds to ensure the longevity of her species.

Most of you who have not experienced a hatching sequence on our coast will probably be thinking that the hatchlings are easy pickings for birds, reptiles and fish. However, along our coast things are quite different. Unlike those in the National Geographic documentaries, these turtles hatch at night, evading any diurnal predators and really only run the gauntlet of the marauding ghost crabs who rarely take more than one or two. The fish would definitely take a toll, but by daybreak the little turtles are far offshore, bobbing around like inconspicuous debris. Things are not all rosy though, and on average only 1 in a 1000 will reach sexual maturity.

Without trying to predict nature's rhythms we do anticipate a slow-ish February with far fewer nesting ladies, but, with our fingers crossed, we expect the ever-so-cute hatchlings to be spotted more often.

See you next month!