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The Crested Terns were creating an awesome spectacle
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date: 11/2/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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Weather: Sunny | Air Temp: 28°C | Wind: SE 20/25 knots | Water Temp: 27°C | Water Visibility: ~15 m | Sea State: Chop
What a beautiful sunny and warm day! It was a great day to get out into the water today and experience the underwater world of Lady Elliot.
On the glass bottom boat the parrotfish were out in force astonishing guests with their brilliant array of colours. Guests claimed they could even hear them chomping away on the coral below.
Out in the lagoon after lunch a big school of baitfish were trapped by the outgoing tide, creating a swirling mass of fish very close to the shore. The Crested Terns of course thought that this was a great thing and were creating an awesome spectacle for onlookers, diving into the water for an easy feast.
The reef walk was a ripper today with a lot of creatures showing up. Guests saw two beautiful blue Linkia sea stars and the adults took some great photos of it with their children. Around the corner a New Caledonian sea star provided staff with an opportunity to show the guests a sea star’s tiny tube feet as they are quite visible on this species. They were also fascinated to learn about the amazing hydro vascular system common to all echinoderms.
Some very large Diadema urchins were also seen hiding away in crevices waiting to come out at night when they become active. Guests couldn’t believe the size of the spines and agreed that if you were to stand on one it would be very painful indeed! On the way back to the beach the group had an interesting encounter with an octopus that was hiding itself under a coral outcrop. It was a rare treat for the reef walkers to come into contact with this amazing creature in such shallow water, especially because they are often really hard to see.
Special Guests:
After a delicious dinner guests gathered in the education centre to watch Darren Leal present a lecture of “Wild Visions of the World”. It included some amazing photo’s as well as some very funny stories and was a great light hearted way to finish the day. Thanks Darren!
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Crested Turn - Jess Howard
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click to download flash player