Turtle Tours Bundaberg- Organised Turtle Tours Mon Repos Bargara Queensland - Footprints Adventures

ABOUT US

The First law of Nature
In the natural world, everything is connected to everything else in ways that are not only more complex than we understand ... but are more complex than we can understand.

The Second law of Nature
Because of the first law of nature, there is no such thing as a free lunch!!

 

Based on this philosophy, Footprints 

wants  you to enjoy nature on its own terms in a friendly, homestyle environment. 

 Footprints was conceived some ten years ago by Rod Pearce to increase people's awareness of marine turtles.  Today, thanks to Footprints, thousands of people have seen this marvel of nature. 

Now Footprints has its own hostel.  FEEDING GROUNDS Backpacker is named after a special place where turtles rest amd recover during their long journeys. 

Weary travellers can now do the same in a homestyle atmosphere.

Footprints also gives back to nature by fully funding a turtle research project . This involves tagging new turtles, gathering data on recaptures and relocating eggs at a remote beach. 

Footprints also opposed the display of turtle hatchlings planned by the area's council and formed People Against Captive Turtles (PACT) Inc. The appeal lodged in the Planning & Environment Court was upheld due to the council failing to properly inform the public of the Turtle Interpretive Centre application. The Council's next application attracted enormous public attention and 31 objections, including the Burnett Shire Council. In 2008 council amalgamation saw the new Bundaberg Region Council reject the Turtle Centre.

 We see this as a real VICTORY not just people power, but for the baby turtles that would have been sacrificed by this outdated project. 

Below are some facts on baby turtles and the concept behind their proposed captivity.

            

Important things happen when baby turtles hatch.  They are imprinted with information that will allow them to return to nest in the same region.  They also are programmed to swim until they reach the open ocean.  No one knows exactly where they go or what they do for the first years of their life, but thisis vital to their long term survival. 
To interfere with turtles at this critical time is to condemn these critically endangered animals to death and/or developmental damage. The cruelty to the animal can only be imagined. 
Having a powerful instinct thwarted to become a convenient human spectacle and a source of economic gain for the Council is both archaic and deplorable.  I
In recognition of this, after some 30 years of supporting such programs known as "headstarting", the US federal government passed laws banning this practice. 
 
All scientific evidence gathered over decades indicates the dangers of keeping hatchling captive, even for a short time.  Strict protocol is in place as the Mon Repos turtle rookery as a result.
Yet the government has devised a ‘scientific study’ to justify this blatant exploitation of these animals.  This approach is further legitimized by the animals being ‘tagged’, before being ‘released’ to certain death.