Reef HQ Aquarium, Townsville North Queensland is looking to develop a new Turtle Hospital to care for sick and injured turtles – with your help, we can do it!
We are looking to build a State of the Art Turtle Hospital, which will;
•Treat acute and chronic ailments to ensure turtle survival
•Rehabilitate the turtles to ensure their safe return and reintegration into natural habitat
•Lower turtle mortality rates and ensure their long-term sustainability
•Teach and inspire the public and visitors about turtles through educational experiences and tours
•Unlock turtle secrets and elevate their status as part of a tourism attraction
•Enhance corporate and community understanding of the importance of turtles to the marine and
natural environment, through development of strategic partnerships.
The hospital will be built utilising environmentally friendly products only, (including solar panels),
and operate to minimise its carbon footprint.
Turtle Hospital – why it ‘counts’
Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of Marine Turtles? The number one impact to turtle populations in the marine park is injury caused by human activities.
We look to you for consideration of turtle hospital sponsorship, which will ensure turtles of the Great Barrier Reef have the best chance of survival for years to come.
By becoming the primary partner or supporter of RHQ Aquarium’s Turtle Hospital you are in a unique position to gain significant positive exposure as a good corporate citizen, and to publicly profile your company’s commitment to broader environmentally sustainable practices. All philanthropic contributions to the project are 100% tax deductible. The Turtle Hospital has the potential to significantly increase visitation and sustain high visitation to RHQ Aquarium for years to come.
RHQ Aquarium hosted 124,685 visitors in 07/08 financial year, from international, domestic, local visitors, leading scientists and the corporate community – this is your chance to leverage and communicate your brand to this audience.
Reef HQ Aquarium has limited facilities to take in sick and injured turtles, and often have no choice but to turn them away. You can take a leadership role in assisting with marine turtle conservation, and improve public understanding of the vital role turtles play in the marine and natural environment.
In addition to saving turtles, your valuable funds will build the dedicated hospital and provide interpretation to enhance visitor awareness and understanding. Our interpretative themes will cover how we intend to care for sick and injured turtles
and provide information.
Fast Facts
•Marine turtles have been swimming in the ocean for more then 150 million years, first appearing during the dinosaur age
•Turtles are reptiles and breathe air
•Green, hawksbill, loggerhead, spotted flatback, leatherback, and olive ridley turtles are the six species found on the Great Barrier Reef, all would obtain care in the RHQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital. We expect to welcome mainly Green patients!
•A turtle’s shell is rather light, and protects the turtle and helps it keep afloat
•For 1000’s of years, marine turtles have played an important part in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
•Turtles reproduce at 35+ years
•Leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish and dive to depths of over 1500 metres.
You can help protect our marine turtles by not clogging up our waterways with waste and landfill, and by avoiding run-off. If visiting beaches between Oct-April, switch
off lights, so nesting turtles won’t be confused.
We can all play a role in protecting turtles of the Great Barrier Reef.
Because turtles are long-lived, slow growing, late maturing animals, once depleted, their populations may take decades to recover. Despite their protection, they face a number of threats from human activities.
✘ Fishing Nets
✘ Boat Strikes
✘ Fishing Hooks
✘ Litter – turtles mistake if for food
✘ Plastic Bags – look like jellyfish in the water, if ingested make turtles sick or die
PLUS non-human elements;
Floating Syndrome ➔ associated with fungal infections.
Contact
To further discuss your commitment to saving marine turtles, please contact:
Martina Neidig
Business Operations Manager
Reef HQ Aquarium – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Telephone: 47 500 712
Email: Martina.Neidig@gbrmpa.gov.au
Or
Karen Vohland
Director Communication and Education
Reef HQ Aquarium – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Telephone: 47 500 700
Email: k.vohland@gbrmpa.gov.au
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