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Wednesday - Box Fruit was the interest of today
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date: 3/9/2008
Author:Shay Young
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Sunny, some overhead cloud | Air Temp:23°C | Wind: SE 20/26 knots | Water Temp: 21°C | Water Visibility: 20m | Sea State: Choppy
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
The Island Tucker Tour was the first activity of the day with a few keen guests coming along to learn about the vegetation on the island and how they would survive off the land. The Box Fruit was the interest of today with guests learning about the ability it has to stun fish within a small area and capture them for a good meal. The guests also learnt how to weave Pandanus leaves so as they could make a fish net and use the box fruits as floats to help capture these fish.
The Glass Bottom Boat saw Manta Rays at the surface feeding on the planktonic larvae and an abundance of turtles. A Flutemouth swam on by the snorkelers today attracting lots of attention; with its yellow colouration shining through the water column, when feeding these flutemouth’s will change their colour so as the prey cannot see them as clearly, they will in fact turn grey in colour with a black tail and white spots. The Flutemouth will also hide behind other fish so as not to be seen and when the unsuspecting prey allows the other fish to get close enough they will dart out and take the prey.
The diving today was conducted on the Western side of the island with both a morning and afternoon dive taken. The morning dive saw the divers drift dive from Sandy Seconds, Three Pyramids, Anchor Bommie, and Maori Wrasse to the Shark Pool with lots of white-tipped reef sharks swimming about! The Afternoon dive was at the Severence Wreck, this today has made for a spectacular diving site in around 20m of water. The wreck today has been inhabited by many different species of fish and is frequented by many rays waiting in the sandy sediment. Today a cod was sighted with a hook in its mouth off the wreck along with Manta Rays and after visiting the wreck divers drifted down to Three Pyramids where Lionfish were disguising themselves against the corals.
Special Events / Activities:
The University group is presenting their findings this afternoon, followed by drinks and nibbles on the Western deck. |
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White Tip Reef Shark - Mark Atkinson
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