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Sunday - crown of thorns starfish grazing the reef
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date: 11/1/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Cloudy | Air Temp: 27°C | Wind: SE 20/30 knots | Water Temp: 26°C | Water Visibility: ~ 10m | Sea State: Chop
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
It was a pleasant day on the western side of the Island and the guests on the glass bottom boats had some very exciting encounters in the water. A loggerhead turtle was seen feasting on the clear comb jellies right over second reef giving everybody a major thrill. Several juvenile green turtles were also seen throughout the morning that were very friendly and allowed everybody to get some brilliant photos. The trumpet fish was also a hit with the guests, especially with their remarkable ability to change colours when feeding. Guests couldn’t believe that it was the same fish!
The scuba divers saw the crown of thorns starfish grazing the reef and some guests showed some of their pictures at Island Whispers later in the night. On this part of the Great Barrier Reef they are not a problem as they aren’t seen in very large numbers and actually indicate a very healthy system. They are quite a remarkable species in terms of their size and their very successful life strategy. It was great for everybody to see this incredible creature up close. They also saw the very beautiful and sleek leopard shark having a rest out at Sandy Seconds.
On the reef walk guests caught a glimpse of a very shy abalone that quickly darted into a crevice. They are usually a nocturnal species so it was good for everybody to see it during the day. The docile dollabella sea hare was also seen wandering slowly across the reef flat
After dinner guests were excited to see some hatchlings emerge in front of the beach units. A guide was there to explain some of the facts about these cool little guys as they made their journey down to the water. Guests took some awesome photos and topped off another great day of discovery out here on our awesome coral cay.
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sea hare - Jess Howard
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