 |
|
Monday - Electrical strom entertains guest in the night
|
date: 8/12/2008
Author:Shay Young
|
CONDITIONS
Weather: Sunny | Air Temp:29°C | Wind: NW/SW winds 20/25 knots | Water Temperature: 26°C | Water Visibility: 20m | Sea State: Chop
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
Last night was very exciting with an amazing storm moving across the island. The storm gave us an amazing lightning show with fork lightning out on the horizon and flashes of yellow and orange and pink filling the sky. The storm went well into the night with thunder keeping all the birds on their feet as they nestled down hid away in their trees.
The bird watching tour was the first tour to start the day with guests heading out to have a look at the waders, land and sea birds. The birds were out flying both high and low this morning with silvereyes, white capped noddies and common noddies all sighted; the red tailed tropic birds were full of energy today with their characteristic call heard throughout the island. The sooty oystercatchers were out on the Southern end of the runway today on the beach rock; this is the usual habitat for these birds.
The glass bottom boat and snorkel trip headed to Second Reef with lots of juvenile and adult turtles spotted on the surface. Anemonefish, trumpetfish and parrotfish all swam around the reef; however the most impressive being the black-blotched porcupinefish. The black-blotched porcupinefish has spines over its body with two small barbells on the chin and brown and black spots on the upper part of the body shading to white ventrally; typically found under ledges this little guy poked his head out just enough to see what was going on around his coral hideout.
The divers today headed out to the lighthouse bommies for a look at the amazing bommies and some mantas gliding through. A tasselled wobbegong was spotted sitting on the sediment and a small nudibranch orange in colour sliding along the coral; then finally a manta passed on by not just once but hung around for the remainder of the dive being very interactive with all the guests and Manta Project Researchers sitting on the bottom in awe at these magnificent creatures.
|
|
Twins - Jenni Fox
|
click to download flash player