Rare Albino Turtle Hatchling Treks Across Aussie Beach

Queensland, Australia’s Castaways Beach played host to a rare sight, as an albino green sea turtle was spotted in the sand, soon to head for the ocean.

The Coolum District Coast Care turtle survey group posted pictures of the tiny hatchling on its Facebook page, noting that it’s the first albino turtle it has seen in nine years of monitoring turtles.

The group said the turtle, dubbed “Alby,” was the last of more than 100 hatchlings to make its way out to sea from the beach.

“Albino hatchlings are extremely rare. It probably occurs at the rate of one in many hundreds of thousands of eggs that are laid,” Queensland scientist Col Limpu told Australia’s ABC.

Alby’s chances of survival are dicey, Coolum District Coast Care President Leigh Warneminde told CNN. His color will make him stand out to predators, and, as it is, only 1 in 1,000 green sea turtles survives to adulthood.

From Discovery News