Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue Inc

26/08/2026

🩵 ⚠️SHEARWATER SEASON & AVIAN INFLUENZA ⚠️🩵

Shearwaters are migratory pelagic seabirds that travel incredible distances between their feeding and breeding grounds.

🪽 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters migrate south from Southeast Asian waters to breeding areas such as Muttonbird Island near Coffs Harbour from late August to early September.

🪽 Short-tailed Shearwaters begin their southern migration from the Bering Sea, between Russia and Alaska, towards breeding grounds in Bass Strait between Victoria and Tasmania from late September to early October.

During these migrations, shearwaters can sometimes become stranded on beaches due to exhaustion, starvation or illness.

⚠️ AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

There has been one reported case of avian influenza detected in a shearwater from Castaways Beach on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.

If you see a sick or dead shearwater:

🚫 AVOID contact. Observe from a distance and keep pets away. Do not touch, handle or allow pets to eat wildlife.

📸 RECORD what you see, including the location, number of animals and any unusual behaviour. Take photos or video only if you can do so safely without approaching the bird.

📞 REPORT unusual illness or deaths in wild birds immediately via the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888.

Signs of avian influenza can include:
• Lack of coordination, tremors or swimming in circles
• Twisted neck or abnormal posture
• Inability to stand or fly
• Diarrhoea
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing
• Swelling around the head, neck or eyes
• Cloudy or discoloured eyes
• Sudden death

When reporting, useful information includes the location, date and time, number of sick or dead animals, observed signs and contact details for witnesses.

🩵 These remarkable birds travel thousands of kilometres to breed in Australian waters. Let’s look out for them while keeping ourselves, our pets and wildlife safe.

A REMINDER!
Please do not bring birds to the ASTR premises. New biosecurity measures are now in place to prevent the spread of avian influenza

13/08/2026

Well done on an incredible season 🐢

This season has kept us pretty busy…

What an incredible season for marine turtles in NSW! This season, NSW TurtleWatch recorded 30 nesting events across 9 Local Government Areas, the highest number of nesting events EVER recorded in NSW!

From NSW nests, an incredible 1,302 hatchlings were produced with 653 being Green Turtle hatchlings and 649 Loggerhead Turtle hatchlings. We also incubated 995 eggs ex-situ throughout the season to help protect vulnerable clutches.

As more people take on the role of TurtleWatch each year, we are detecting more nesting turtles than ever before, demonstrating the incredible impact of a community united by a shared purpose.

A huge thank you to our Turtle Team, partners and communities across NSW who continue to monitor our beaches, report nesting activity and help protect these threatened species. 🐢

🔗 Want to learn more about our record-breaking 2025/2026 nesting season? Read our End of Season Media Release here: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/record-effort-help-save-nesting-marine-turtles

‘NSW TurtleWatch and NPWS monitor and protect turtle nests under the Marine Estate Management Strategy’.

Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue Inc NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

05/08/2026

🥬🥒🫑 Lunch is served! 💚

Recovery takes more than just medicine, it also takes good nutrition. While in our care, our sea turtle patients enjoy a carefully prepared diet designed to support their healing and help them regain strength before they’re ready to return to the ocean.

Today’s menu? Fresh kale, crunchy cucumber, and green capsicum! 🐢 These nutritious vegetables provide important vitamins, minerals, hydration, and enrichment, encouraging natural foraging behaviours while our patients recover.
Every bite is another step towards a healthy release back into the wild. 🌊💙

08/07/2026

⚠️ Warning: This post contains distressing content ⚠️

ASTR recently responded to multiple calls from concerned members of the public about an injured Australasian Darter in Ballina. The bird had suffered a significant fishing hook injury and line entanglement around the leg, despite several rescue attempts over a number of days, proved incredibly elusive.

Thankfully, with the support of our local community, we were finally able to bring this rescue to a successful conclusion. A huge thank you to John from Ballina Boat Hire, assisting with a small boat, and to Ballina local David Adams, who generously assisted our rescue team with a motorised kayak, allowing us to safely capture the bird and get it the urgent care it needed.

We are also incredibly grateful to our friends at Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital , who provided immediate veterinary treatment. Sadly, despite everyone's best efforts, the injuries were too severe, and the kindest decision was to humanely end his suffering.

This heartbreaking outcome is an important reminder that discarded fishing gear has devastating consequences for our native wildlife.

🎣 Please dispose of all fishing hooks and line responsibly.
Never cut the line and leave an animal trailing a hook. If it is safe to do so, retrieve the animal or contact your local wildlife rescue organisation as soon as possible. Prompt intervention can make the difference between life and death.

If you come across injured seabirds, shorebirds, sea turtles and sea snakes
- Contact the ASTR Rescue hotline on 0428862852

Together, we can help protect our incredible wildlife. 💙💛

03/07/2026

🚨 H5 BIRD FLU UPDATE 🚨

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 bird flu) is spreading globally, and cases are now emerging within the state. Following 5 confirmed cases in Western Australia and South Australia in late June 2026, a case is now suspected here in New South Wales as of today, July 3rd, 2026.

Avian influenza is a nationally notifiable disease. If you suspect an animal is showing signs, YOU MUST REPORT IT.

🛑 What to do if you find a sick animal:
AVOID: Do not touch sick or dead wildlife or their environment. Observe from a distance and keep pets away.
RECORD: Note what you see, where the animal was found, and safely take photos or video if possible.
REPORT: Immediately call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 to report any unusual sickness or mass mortality events.

⚠️ Key Symptoms to Watch For:
- Lack of coordination, tremors, seizures, or swimming in circles
- Twisted necks or unusual postures
- Inability to stand or fly
- Difficulty breathing, coughing, or sneezing
- Swelling, cloudiness, or color changes to the eyes
- Sudden death or mass mortality events

🦅 Animals Affected:
This strain doesn’t just affect wild seabirds, shorebirds and waterbirds. It has the potential to impact marine mammals (like seals and dolphins), and wild scavenging mammals. There is also the potential risk to poultry, captive birds, and domestic mammals like cats and dogs.

Stay informed, stay safe, and help us look out for our coastal wildlife.

ℹ️ For more details, visit birdflu.gov.au.

Report all suspected cases of H5 Bird Flu to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline - 1800675888

If you need local rescue for sick or injured seabirds, shorebirds, sea turtles and sea snakes - contact Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue - 0428862852

30/06/2026

ASTR School holiday bookings open now! Come and learn about the marine life ASTR rescues and rehabilitates 🐢

*Please call or email to book- do not DM or comment on post for bookings*

Facility located in Ballina

24/06/2026

There’s still time to donate before the end of financial year.

🐢💙 Help Give Wildlife a Second Chance This EOFY 💙🪶

As we approach the end of the financial year, we’re asking for your support to help us continue rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sick and injured marine wildlife.

Every year, Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue responds to hundreds of rescues across the Northern Rivers, caring for sea turtles, seabirds, shorebirds, and sea snakes in need of urgent help. From entanglements and boat strikes to illness, starvation, and pollution, many of these animals arrive needing extensive medical care and rehabilitation.

Your donation helps provide:
🐢 Medical treatment and rehabilitation
🐟 Food and specialised care
🚑 Rescue equipment and transport
💙 Ongoing support for animals on their road to recovery

The reality is, we couldn’t do this work without the support of our community.

Every donation, no matter the size, helps give vulnerable wildlife the best chance at recovery and returning home to the wild.

And the best part? Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

If you would like to support the work we do this EOFY, now is the perfect time to make a difference.

Thank you for supporting Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue 💙

Click on the link to donate
https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=oNP9JcefRRS92FW3VuO68QtuYEdO_gcwNc4CSQerKwm_WKzt65wNtprwpi3ZemNIaHX6TjA-USyNwGUO

23/06/2026

With the very real threat of an H5 avian influenza incursion in NSW we are following NSW government agencies’ advice and urge all members of the public to AVOID. RECORD. REPORT any seabirds/shore birds that appear unwell on beaches, rivers or estuaries. Please DO NOT handle any birds you may find and please keep your dogs and cats away from potentially infected birds. Human transmission may occur and domestic pets are also susceptible to the H5 flu. Please call our rescue hotline on 0428 862 852 for assessment by trained volunteers who are equipped with the necessary PPE needed in this situation and reporting to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 will be ensured.

While the disease has not yet infiltrated NSW wildlife we will be performing rescues on birds that are injured with hook and line entanglement and who are clearly injured such as dropped wing, limping and evident fractures. We will continue to seek full health assessments for injured patients by the veterinary teams at Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital and Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital.

We are hopeful that this insidious disease does not spread on the mainland but we will communicate any updates through our Facebook and Instagram pages, but for now please be vigilant and stay safe.

01/06/2026

On Sunday, Dave and Tammy from helped release five post-hatchlings, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Nirvana, Cyndi Lauper, and Hatchie, back into the wild after they came into our care following the recent rough weather and swell. 🐢💙

These little turtles were suffering from exhaustion, with some having ingested plastic and presenting with other health concerns identified during assessment. After spending some time in care receiving treatment and support, they were finally ready to head home and were released into the East Australian Current (EAC).

A massive shout out to Dave and Tammy for helping get these little turtles safely back out into the wild. We truly appreciate your ongoing support and everything you do to help our turtles.

27/05/2026

WORLD OCEANS DAY GIVEAWAY!

NSW TurtleWatch and Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue are teaming up to celebrate World Oceans Day 2026 with an exciting giveaway valued at $300! 💙

Our oceans are home to incredible marine wildlife, including the sea turtles and seabirds we work so hard to protect every day. This giveaway is all about celebrating our blue planet and inspiring our community to help create waves of change for our oceans.

To enter:
✔ Follow and
✔ Like this post
✔ Tag a friend in the comments
✔ Share to your story for a bonus entry

Entries close midnight Sunday 8th June 2026.

Together, we can help protect marine wildlife and keep our oceans thriving for generations to come.