An "Australian Made - Australian Owned" Marine Treasure

Since first discovered by humans, Australia has been home to a myriad of mysterious animals that exist nowhere else in the world. From kangaroos, to koalas, to the platypus - an animal that was believed to be a hoax when first brought back to England - Australian wildlife never ceases to impress.

We pride ourselves on our unusual animal icons, but there are a whole bunch of creatures out there that even we Australians don't know much about. We even have our own sea turtle species - the rarest and most mysterious of them all.

Have you heard of the Australian Flatback Turtle?

What's the difference?

Only a handful of studies have been done on this marine gem. Very little is known about what it eats or where it swims to - most sightings occur when the females come up onto Aussie beaches to bury their eggs.

Flatbacks get their name from the shape of their carapace (shell) which is, as the name suggests, "flatter" than other sea turtle species. The carapace is also quite soft and leathery, similar to a Leatherback turtle, and can bleed very easily if they are scratched. They also have quite small front flippers compared to their body size. Nobody really knows why, but some scientists suggest that it could be because they don't migrate long distances like other turtles do. The loggerhead turtle has the longest migration of any turtle and has been tracked swimming a distance of over 14,000 km (9000 miles)!

The bigger the better!

Like every sea turtle, flatbacks also bury their eggs in sand nests on the beach. However, they have a very odd sized egg! Even though they are one of the smallest species of turtle, their eggs are almost the size of a Leatherbacks - the largest turtle in the world!

Head Count

Today there are around 10,000 Flatback turtles nesting in beaches around Australia and thousands more out at sea. Luckily, they are not under serious threat as are with all other turtle species as they only live in Australian waters where they are heavily protected. However, they are listed as 'Vulnerable' as they are still not 100% safe from trawler nets and other human activities.

Australia is extremely fortunate to have its very own marine turtle species, a feat that no other country can claim!