More than 50 turtle eggs are being watched day and night to ensure they hatch in front of audiences in Brisbane, far from sandy Queensland beaches.

In an Australian first, the eggs have been incubated, watched and timed to hatch on a certain date so the public can watch.

The first of the loggerhead turtle eggs, from Mon Repos off the coast of Bundaberg, hatched as planned, with more on the way at the Queensland Museum as part of the World Science Festival.

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The museum's reptile curator, Patrick Couper, said it had been an exercise in timing and temperature precision.

"We've hatched out loggerhead turtle eggs in the public galleries in incubators so people can experience it first hand," he said.

"No-one has ever timed eggs to a particular window of time for public view.

"They have all had to be incubated at 29.9 degrees Celsius for the period so that they hatched on time."

Transporting turtle eggs

Internationally renowned turtle biologist Dr Colin Limpus helped with the project, collecting eggs at Mon Repos beach on January 16.

Over five nights Dr Limpus collected 10 eggs per clutch at 24 hours apart.

Mr Couper said transporting them to the city was well rehearsed before they put them in a car.

"We transported them in Dr Limpus's incubator that looks like a bar fridge with a water jacket around it," he said.

"We slowly moved them down into our research labs at the Queensland Museum to get the action started.

"I was checking on the eggs twice a day, making minor adjustments if I needed to."

He said the pressure to get the eggs to hatch was tough.

Queensland Museum reptile curator Patrick Couper has been keeping a close eye on the turtle eggs. ( 612 ABC Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

"It was nerve-wracking, especially with people crowded about anticipating this event, and what if the eggs didn't hatch ... that would have been awkward," Mr Couper said.

"I had no doubt the eggs would hatch, but it was about getting the right window of time for people to see them.

"I've learnt a few tricks; when an egg is just close to hatching and you jiggle it a bit or tap an egg slightly you get the first hatchling out.

Young flatback turtle hatchlings have also been placed on display near the loggerhead turtle eggs allowing visitors to watch them swim. ( 612 ABC Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

"When the first hatchling starts all the other eggs start to hatch simultaneously."

After the turtles hatched, Mr Couper placed the young turtles into incubators for a day or two to simulate the conditions they would experience in the nest.

"Hatchlings usually stay in nests for up to five days before they erupt and come out through the surface and down the beach," he said.

"As the turtles straighten I then transfer them across so that people can see them swimming around.

"Then each day volunteers take the turtles that are ready back to Sea Life Mooloolaba to hold them."

One of the last loggerhead turtle eggs wait to hatch surrounded by young hatchlings. ( 612 ABC Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

When all the hatchlings have emerged Mr Couper hopes to travel to the Sunshine Coast to release them from a boat 20 kilometres off shore.

"It's been important for people to experience this as it happens at Mon Repos," he said.

"It shows people that we have valuable turtle stocks here in Queensland and that we should value them."

The project was approved by the Queensland Museum Animal Ethics Committee and continues as part of the World Science Festival at South Bank, Brisbane until Sunday.