The Delambre Island turtle monitoring program began in 2008 and was run by Rio Tinto as part of the Cape Lambert Marine Turtle Management Plan, attached to the Rio Tinto Cape Lambert Port B Development. In 2017, the NWSFTCP took over the monitoring program as part of a collaboration agreement with Rio Tinto.

As one of the largest flatback turtle rookeries in Australia, staff and volunteers on Delambre Island are kept busy by the hundreds of turtles that come onto the beach each night. The island is uninhabited and devoid of any permanent structures, which means a large field camp must be set up for the month-long monitoring period. Work on the island is conducted with the assistance of the Ngarluma Traditional Custodians through the partnership with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation.

To learn about volunteering opportunities on Delambre Island, please click here.