Boat Dollies

They’ve been dubbed ‘turtle trollies’. These ingenious contraptions, made from modified Wheeleez™ Dolly 12 (WZ1-D12) personal watercraft transporters, are helping save dozens of vulnerable sea turtles – not to mention the weary backs of their volunteer rescuers! Hervey Bay-based non-profit Turtles in Trouble Rescue Inc turned to Beachwheels Australia in 2022 as it struggled to save sick, injured, and stranded sea turtles from death on the Fraser Coast. The dedicated volunteer rescue group, headed by Lisa Turner, was launched in 2021 as turtle rescues skyrocketed. Rescues had risen from an average of 10 a year to 60 in 2021 and 140 last year as a series of catastrophic floods destroyed their main food source, seagrass. This led to ‘soft shell syndrome’ and lethargy in the turtle population, exposing them to boat strikes as the creatures spent more time on the surface.