Turtles on Fitzroy Island, QLD: Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Guests at the Fitzroy Island Resort near Cairns, Queensland, can take part in turtle conservation and helping to regrow the reef.

To skip the detail, and just book a Fitzroy Island day tour from Cairns, head here. To book a stay at the Fitzroy Island resort, head here.

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, Queensland, offers visitors a hands-on experience with sea turtles. This is a new offering for guests of the Fitzroy Island Resort.

Fitzroy Island is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Cairns. Many visitors take the Fitzroy Island ferry for a day of beach time and crocodile-free snorkelling.

But staying on Fitzroy Island brings extra privileges.

Fitzroy Island turtle experience

Guests at the Fitzroy Island Resort can join a new citizen science programme. This offers opportunities to help care for injured turtles and monitor the Great Barrier Reef.

The resort now offers a hands-on, behind-the-scenes experience at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which is based on the island.

The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre cares for six of the world’s seven marine turtle species. Turtles often sustain injuries as a result of human action – which might mean ingesting microplastics or getting wrapped in nylon.

Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday

Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.

Search for discount deals here

Fitzroy Island coral nursery

The full day experience of Fitzroy Island also includes involvement in the island’s coral nursery project.

This involves growing coral – which happens significantly quicker in the nursery than on the reef itself. After six to 12 months, cuttings are taken from the growing corals then planted to help regenerate damaged sections of the reef. The original corals stay in the nurseries, but they produce more and more cuttings to repair the reef with.

For more information, visit the resort website.