Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

What Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre does

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is a voluntary non-profit organisation founded in 2000 by Paul Barnes and Jennie Gilbert, dedicated to rehabilitating sick and injured marine turtles in Far North Queensland, Australia. Its facilities include an intensive care centre on Tingara Street in Cairns and a secondary rehabilitation centre on Fitzroy Island with interpretative tours. CTRC treats six of the world's seven marine turtle species—Green, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Flatback, and one additional species—across all life stages from hatchlings to adults, addressing conditions including boat strikes, fibropapillomas, buoyancy problems, ghost net entanglement, cranial trauma, limb damage, foreign body ingestion, oil/tar ingestion, and infectious diseases. Core technical capabilities include anaesthesia, surgery, therapeutics, captive management, rehabilitation, and release protocols, supported by satellite tracking to verify post-release survival. Veterinary services are supplied through a partnership with Marlin Coast Veterinary Surgery.

CTRC's business model is donation- and merchandise-led, with no significant government funding. Revenue streams comprise individual donations, volunteer support, and a direct-to-consumer merchandise catalogue (turtle aprons at A$30, polo shirts at A$45, hats at A$25, and rashies at A$60) produced via Shirtbox, a local Cairns print partner. A secondary revenue lever is the Advanced Eco Tourism Certified interpretative tour operation at Fitzroy Island. Turtles are received through Environmental Protection Agency National Park Rangers via the EPA stranding hotline, establishing CTRC as the designated regional rehabilitation facility spanning Cape York Peninsula to Townsville. The centre operates with approximately 10 staff, has treated 170+ turtles over 15+ years, and has improved rehabilitation success rates from 20-30% to approximately 85%. Research findings (autopsy, blood composition, genetic sampling) are shared nationally and internationally with other rehabilitation centres.

Name

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Legal name

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Website

https://cairnsturtlerehab.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is a volunteer non-profit founded in 2000 that rehabilitates sick and injured marine turtles across six species in Far North Queensland, funded by donations, merchandise sales, and eco-tourism tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Marine turtle conservation
• Veterinary care services
• Eco tourism tours
• Conservation merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Cairns

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Volunteer Support: CTRC relies on generous donations from supporters and volunteers to fund operations, receiving no significant government funding. Personal commitments and donations from local businesses keep the centre running.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of turtle-themed merchandise including aprons (A$30), polo shirts (A$45), hats (A$25), and rashies (A$60). All profits go directly to turtle care. Products are printed and shipped individually, sourced through partnership with Shirtbox t-shirt printing business in Cairns.
3. Research Data Sharing: Information captured during turtle treatment and rehabilitation (autopsy findings, blood composition, genetic sampling) is shared with other rehabilitation centres nationally and internationally, contributing to broader marine turtle conservation efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is a voluntary non-profit organisation that rescues, treats, and rehabilitates sick and injured marine turtles from across Far North Queensland (Cape York Peninsula to Townsville), and releases recovered turtles back to the wild. The organisation also conducts sea turtle research, runs education programs and interpretative tours at its Fitzroy Island facility, and sells turtle-themed merchandise (aprons, polo shirts, hats, rashies) with all profits funding rehabilitation work.

Product overview

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is a voluntary non-profit organisation dedicated to rehabilitating sick and injured marine turtles from the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York Peninsula. The core service is turtle rehabilitation and rescue operations, supported by sea turtle research and education programs. CTRC also operates a merchandise store selling turtle-themed products (Turtle Aprons, Turtle Polo Shirts, Turtle Hat, Turtle Rashie) manufactured in partnership with local Cairns business Shirtbox, with all profits supporting the rehabilitation work. The organisation was founded in 2000 by Paul Barnes and Jennie Gilbert, and has treated over 170 turtles over 15 years with an ~85% rehabilitation success rate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Turtle Rehabilitation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• ~85% rehabilitation success rate (improved from 20-30%)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marlin Coast Veterinary SurgerycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Marlin Coast Veterinary Clinic has supported CTRC by supplying medical services and veterinary expertise required to treat sick and injured turtles. Turtles are brought in for initial check-ups at the clinic before transfer to CTRC's intensive care centre.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTRC works closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and EPA National Park Rangers who are responsible for bringing turtles to the centre. The EPA operates a stranding hotline that notifies rangers who then transfer distressed turtles to CTRC for assessment and treatment.
• ShirtboxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCTRC is associated with Shirtbox, a local Cairns t-shirt printing business located at 440 Sheridan Street. All turtle merchandise is printed by Shirtbox using quality shirts, with CTRC sourcing eco-friendly garments. Orders are printed and shipped individually.
• Ella's AdventuresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Ella's Adventures Children's book. CTRC is featured as a cause supported through book sales, helping raise awareness and donations for sea turtle conservation.
• Christian Miller PhotographyminorOthersChristian Miller provides all photography for CTRC's website and materials. All photos on the site are provided by this photographer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital: Major Australian wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release facility, treating a broad range of native species including marine turtles. Comparable to CTRC in mission (wildlife rehabilitation) and Australian operating context, though much larger in scale and funding.
• Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital: Not-for-profit wildlife hospital on the NSW North Coast focused on rescue, treatment and rehabilitation of native wildlife. Closely comparable to CTRC in funding model (donations), mission, and small-team Australian regional hospital structure.
• Sea Turtle Foundation: Australian not-for-profit dedicated to sea turtle research, conservation and education funding. Comparable to CTRC in mission (sea turtle conservation) and donor-dependent funding model, though CTRC is operationally focused on rehabilitation while STF is primarily a grant-maker.
• Mon Repos Turtle Centre: Queensland Government-managed marine turtle conservation and ecotourism centre near Bundaberg, focused on nesting loggerhead and other turtle research/education. Comparable to CTRC in marine turtle focus and Queensland ecotourism context, though CTRC emphasizes rehabilitation while Mon Repos focuses on nesting ecology.

Others

• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Queensland Government agency responsible for managing protected areas including turtle nesting beaches and wildlife. CTRC works directly with this agency's rangers; comparable as the regulatory/custodian counterpart that feeds CTRC its caseload.
• JCU Turtle Health Research Group: James Cook University research group studying marine turtle health and disease in the Great Barrier Reef. Comparable to CTRC as a regional collaborator on turtle health research and data sharing, though focused on academic research rather than clinical rehabilitation.
• Sea Shepherd Australia: Marine conservation nonprofit active in Australian waters addressing threats including ghost nets and marine debris. Comparable to CTRC in donor-funded marine conservation mission and overlap on ghost-net threat mitigation, though Sea Shepherd focuses on enforcement advocacy rather than rehabilitation.

Regional players

• Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium: Townsville-based aquarium and education facility operated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, including a turtle rehabilitation hospital. Directly comparable as a Far North Queensland turtle rehab/education operator with overlapping catchment (CTRC reaches Townsville).

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Australia: Major Australian conservation NGO with marine turtle programs in the Great Barrier Reef and broader Indo-Pacific. Comparable to CTRC in conservation mission and donation-driven funding, but operates nationally with corporate and government partnerships at far greater scale.
• Taronga Wildlife Hospital: Iconic Sydney-based wildlife hospital operated by Taronga Conservation Society, treating a wide range of species. Comparable to CTRC in rehabilitation mission but operates as part of a much larger zoo/conservation institution with diversified funding streams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cairns-turtle-rehabilitation-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre