Experiencing Turtle Season on Heron Island

Imagine the clearest, brightest blue water you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s perfectly warm all day and night, an unbelievable mixture of blues and greens swirling together as the waves move in and out from the shore. That is one of the things you will never forget about Heron Island. The colour of the water is simply unbelievable. Like someone has used a filter, or your eyes have increased the saturation. It honestly surprised me, every time I stepped out of our room, every day for our 5 day visit. It’s incredible.

Pair that water with the remarkable marine life and turtle experiences to be had on Heron Island, and it quickly becomes a can’t miss bucket list destination. A snorkelling and diving hotspot all year round, Heron Island is known for its turtles, rays and reef sharks, that you can swim with just a few metres from the beach. Often spotted from the jetty, or even the sand, the underwater life here is just phenomenal. It’s easy to spend hours in the water exploring, only coming out when the tide gets too low to continue.

But one of the biggest draw cards of Heron Island is that it is a significant nesting location for Green Turtles and Loggerhead Turtles on the Great Barrier Reef. Nesting season occurs from November to March each year, where hundreds of turtles will make their way up the beach to build a nest and lay their eggs. Then, from January until May, these nests begin to hatch, with thousands of tiny baby hatchlings scurrying across the sand, making their mad dash to the ocean. It’s an absolutely magical thing to see.

A complete island paradise, Heron Island will have you planning your return before you’ve even left.

In this post:

Getting to Heron Island

Sitting 72 kilometres off the coast of Gladstone, Heron Island might take a little planning to get to, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. There are regular flights between Gladstone and Brisbane available with both Virgin Australia and Qantas, with connections to all major cities.

From Gladstone Marina, Heron Island is easily accessible by the Heron Islander Ferry, which makes a round trip five days per week, on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, taking about two hours each way. Check in half an hour before you’re due to depart. There is a café at the marina serving breakfast and coffees if you need a little something before you board.

Staying on Heron Island

There are a number of different room types to choose from on Heron Island, ranging from the Turtle Rooms, set amongst the Pisonia Forest, to Beachside Rooms and even a Beach House. It’s a good idea to choose your room based on where you would like to be located on the island, with some rooms opening right onto the beach, others offering sunset views with more of a cliff drop to the water and others set more inland amongst the forest.

Only a handful of rooms offer air-conditioning, important to consider if you’re travelling during the summer months or with small children, however the ceiling fans in other rooms are very effective. The rooms are not serviced during your stay, but you can swap bath and beach towels at reception for fresh ones. Heron Island is a keyless property, rooms can be locked from the inside and there is a safe available at reception should you need it.

As part of the resort, there is an outdoor pool near Baillie’s Bar, as well as a complimentary laundry that you can use.

Where to eat on Heron Island

There is one main restaurant on Heron Island, the Shearwater Restaurant. Start your day in the morning with your complimentary buffet breakfast, to give you plenty of fuel for the day. Lunch and dinner are also offered, with a small a la carte menu for lunch, which also has a take away option, and a buffet selection or a la carte dinner menu.

Baillie’s Bar is quite the hub on the island, with a large lounge area and outdoor seating overlooking the water and the resort pool. There are drinks, as well as snacks and sandwiches through the day, happy hour twice a day and an extensive cocktail list to taste your way through.

The Heron Island Shop also has a range of drinks, ice-creams and small snacks, as well as basic pharmaceuticals you might need like sunscreen, panadol, seasickness tablets, or swim nappies, souvenirs and beach essentials.

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Things to do on Heron Island

The best way to tackle your day on Heron Island is to plan around the tides. The tides on Heron Island can be quite dramatic, with high tides leaving you almost no beach to walk on, and low tides exposing the coral and the reef to the elements. Snorkelling off the beach is best during the two hours either side of the high tide, where you can often find turtles, rays and reef sharks swimming close to the shore, as well as hundreds of colourful, tropical fish swimming amongst the reef. For the best snorkelling jump in around the gantry or snorkel out to the shipwreck. Masks, snorkels and fins are complementary to hire during your stay from the Marine Centre.

To explore more of the outer reef, jump on a snorkelling or diving tour. Taking you out to some of the most popular diving sites, including Heron Bommie, Blue Pools, Coral Canyons and Gorgonia Hole, you’re sure to be met with an abundance of diverse marine life to explore. Heron Island also offers a range of certified PADI Dive Courses. Important to note that there is a minimum age of 8 years old for these tours.

Heron Island offers a huge schedule of complementary activities so you can make the most of your time on the island. There are island walks, reef discovery walks, bird walks, nature presentations and stargazing on the itinerary all year round, as well as seasonal guided turtle hatchling and nesting walks, and all different evening talks throughout the year. When you board the Heron Islander you will be given a weekly schedule with all the activities that are on offer during your stay and you can pop your name down for any tour you would like at the Information Centre.

Jump on a guided kayak tour to explore the reef from above. You can often spot plenty of rays, small sharks and sometimes even turtles on this tour, as your guide gives you some insight into the reef and the incredible coral life you’re gliding across.

Take a tour of the University of Queensland Research Centre that lies alongside the Heron Island Resort, where researchers will give you a look into what they’re investigating and experimenting with at the current time.

Stay dry and explore the reef on the I-Spy Semi-Submersible tour. Taking you out past the shipwreck and beyond, the semi-sub will get you right into the heart of the action underwater, without you getting wet. A great way to see unique corals and spot plenty of fish, rays and turtles swimming past.

Relax, restore and rejuvenate at the Aqua Soul Spa. In the heart of the Pisonia Forest, the spa offers massages, face, body and skin packages to help you unwind in this island paradise. You can book treatments at reception or by emailing before your stay. Treatments can often book out, so it’s always a good idea to book in advance.

End the day with a peaceful sunset cruise, offering stunning views of the island from the water. Enjoy a cheese platter and a couple of drinks as you watch the sun sink below the horizon for the day. The cruise takes about an hour and a half and can be booked at the Marine Centre. There is also an age limit of 8 years old for this cruise.

When to visit Heron Island

Heron Island and the Southern Great Barrier Reef is a great year round destination, with warm temperatures all year round. The wet season is technically from January to March, it can be quite humid but there is little rainfall for a wet season. However, the best time to visit is of course during the turtle season – from October to March for nesting turtles and January to May for hatchlings. To give yourself the best chance of seeing both on one trip, plan your visit for February or early March.

On the mainland

As the gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Gladstone is home to an impressive natural deep-water harbour that connects visitors to Heron Island from the mainland. While you’re here, check out the panoramic views from Auckland Point or Round Hill Lookout, wander through the Tondoon Botanic Gardens and try the fresh seafood at the Gladstone Fish Market.

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Need to know

There are many rules and guidelines around observing turtles on Heron Island. For example, staying out of sight of any turtles coming to shore to nest, and having absolutely no lights on as they could disorientate the turtles. These guidelines are all extremely important as they allow the turtles to nest and hatch on the island in the most natural environment possible, giving them the best chance of survival. You will be given a brief orientation when you arrive on the island, but it’s also a good idea to jump on a free turtle tour on your first night to get an idea of how things work before heading out to search for turtles on your own.

A quick note about the birds: turtle nesting and hatching season is also bird nesting season. Heron Island is covered in thousands of birds, often flying low and likely to poop on you at some point during your visit. Whilst it is a paradise for bird watchers, if you’re not that keen on birds it is good to know before you arrive so you’re aware.

While you’re there – explore Wilson Island

If you’re looking for something a little more off the beaten track during your visit, take a couple of days to stay at Heron’s little sister, Wilson Island. An all-inclusive, adults only retreat, Wilson Island has just 9 glamping tents scattered around the island, which means no more than 18 guests at any one time. Talk about feeling like you have an island all to yourself. Just a 15 minute boat transfer from Heron, Wilson Island is the place to go for all the incredible wildlife and turtle experiences, just mixed in with a little bit of luxury and seclusion.