Delilah, the green sea turtle was returned home to the ocean on Friday after she was rescued on 24 April post a boat strike and found floating by Whitsunday Jet Ski Tours.

The Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre has now cared for 22 turtles since the centre was opened May last year and after the success of 2013, Eco Barge Clean Seas Inc. and BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal (BMC) have expanded their existing partnership to support both the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program as well as the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre.

The partnership with BMC will continue to have a focus on supporting Eco Barge in educating the community including schools on the issue of marine debris, as well as the plight that is currently faced by marine turtles.

Libby Edge, Founding Chair of Eco Barge Clean Seas said: “The BMC Oceancare partnership will ensure the continued success of the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program, and help strengthen activities of the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre to ensure all sick and injured turtles in the region receive the care that they need.”

“The support that is provided through partnerships, such as the one with BMC, are invaluable to the operation of Eco Barge and its programs”.

“Last year was the most successful year of the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program to date, with 53 trips being run and a total of 37,908 kilograms of marine debris being removed. Results like this are not possible without the support of our partners,” she said.

BMC Asset President Jacqui McGill said BMC were proud to be continuing their partnership with Eco Barge, which delivers key environmental value to BMC’s communities and employees.

“A commitment to environmental sustainability is a core value of ours, and performance in this area is essential not just at site, but also in our communities”.

“Our partnership with Eco Barge is an example of our efforts to protect our reef and marine life, and will specifically address the three parts of the current Whitsunday Debris issue – behaviour, rubbish accumulation and the impacts to marine life.”

“Our employees will also directly participate in the program through education sessions and a sustainability day to assist Eco Barge with their debris collection.”

To find out more about Eco Barge Clean Seas, the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program or the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre please go to their website www.ecobargecleanseas.org.au

The Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre was launched in conjunction with Fauna Rescue Whitsundays and is also supported by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Friends of Parks initiative.​