Mudjimba Island rises just 800 metres offshore from Mooloolaba Beach, a granite outcrop known to the Gubbi Gubbi people as Wappa, or Old Woman Island, named for the profile visible from the mainland at sunset. The island's submerged fringe became a protected zone in 1983, and today the shallow reef platform—rarely deeper than six metres—hosts one of the Sunshine Coast's most accessible green sea turtle populations. Unlike the seasonal migrations seen further north, Mudjimba's resident turtles forage year-round on the seagrass beds that carpet the island's western flank, their shells crusted with barnacles and algae that mark decades of slow growth. The island itself is a 1.8-hectare sanctuary closed to human landing, its slopes dense with pandanus and coastal she-oak. Seabirds nest in the granite clefts between August and January—wedge-tailed shearwaters tunnel beneath the roots, and bridled terns claim the exposed rock shelves. The surrounding waters were declared a fish habitat area in the early 2000s, prohibiting netting and trawling within the boundary. That protection rebuilt populations of bream, trevally, and snapper, which in turn stabilized the reef's ecological layering. Wobbegong sharks rest in the sandy channels, their camouflage patterns blending with the mottled substrate, while schools of yellowtail scad circle the granite boulders that punctuate the reef. Mudjimba Island snorkel with turtles tours depart from Mooloolaba Wharf, typically between 7:00 and 9:00 AM when tidal slack minimizes current and visibility peaks at 10 to 15 metres. The crossing takes eight minutes. Operators anchor on the island's lee side, where the granite slope descends into fields of staghorn coral interspersed with plate corals and soft leather corals. Green turtles surface every four to seven minutes to breathe, their movements unhurried. Juvenile turtles—carapace lengths under 60 centimetres—are more common than adults, a sign of successful hatchling recruitment from Mon Repos and other southern nesting beaches. The reef's shallow depth and natural shelter make it suitable for novice snorkelers, though the granite edges demand careful finning to avoid contact with encrusting organisms.