Sandy Islet is a tiny, narrow sliver of sand that lies less than 2m above sea level. It makes up part of the fragile ecosystem of Scott Reef, Australia’s largest standalone coral atoll that lies offshore off the coast of Western Australia in the Indian Ocean.
Sandy Islet is a critical nesting ground for endangered green sea turtles, and occasionally hawksbill turtles, where up to 1,000 turtles lay their eggs each year. The waters around Scott Reef lack the foraging grounds needed to support an adult turtle population; female green turtles must swim hundreds of kilometres every few years to lay their eggs there. Two to three months later, the newly hatched green turtles make their way to the ocean. The green turtles of Scott Reef, along with those of Browse Island (190km away), form a genetically isolated population - making this precarious sand cay incredibly important to the survival of the species.

Fossil fuel giant Woodside’s destructive gas project, called Browse, has plans to drill for gas right next to Scott Reef - one of the most ecologically significant marine environments in Australia. Turtles are very sensitive to noise and light, so Woodside’s proposed project would have catastrophic effects on their livelihood.
Greenpeace staff and researchers travelling on the Rainbow Warrior as part of the Whales Not Woodside campaign, visited Sandy Islet to document and share the incredible biodiversity and importance of this beautiful place, and to investigate and expose the catastrophic effects that Woodside’s proposed project would have here.