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Monday - eagle rays, thrilling sighting
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date: 8/9/2008
Author:Laura Smith
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Mild, patchy cloud cover | Air Temp: 21.7°C | Wind: S/SE 10/15 knots | Water Temp: 21°C | Water Visibility: ~ 20m | Sea State: Calm
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
Yesterday evening guests enjoyed a leisurely “Night Stalk”. Being so remote, the night sky of Lady Elliot Island really is a sight to see. Last night we were lucky to have a beautifully clear night, and the stars were simply breathtaking. Guests were regaled with tales of old Greek legends of the constellations, and were taught to find south using the Southern Cross.
On the boat tour today, the stunning views through the glass floor were all but forgotten, as the antics of creatures on the water’s surface held captive the attention of guests on board. Migrating humpback whales were seen at close range; it is tempting to believe that one of the whales was waving hello at the boat passengers, as it repeatedly raised its pectoral fin high out of the water before lowering it back to the water with a slap. (A more probable theory for this behaviour, however, is that it helps the whales to rid themselves of parasites and to slough away any excess dead skin.) The pectoral fin of the humpback whale is the longest appendage of any animal; it can reach nearly 5 metres, or around ¼ of the animals’ full body length. As these impressive leviathans put on a show, a lone bronze whaler shark approached momentarily to see what all the commotion was about, before quietly slipping back into the depths.
SCUBA divers reported relaxing dives today, with white-spotted eagle rays featuring as the talking point. The eagle rays have been scarce for the last few months, but their gradual return was evident yesterday with several thrilling sightings of these graceful animals.
The red-tailed tropic bird season is in full swing! Today marks the arrival of our third tropic bird chick, “Damien”. Sebastian, the oldest of this season’s chicks, is becoming more and more active in its nest, giving its parents a tough time to keep it under-wing, but offering guests some wonderful photo opportunities.
Today’s fish feeding was an extravaganza! Nigel the lone silver drummer was there as usual, accompanied by such a diversity of other fish species – moon wrasse, white-barred triggerfish, sergeant majors, golden-lined rabbitfish, diamond-scale mullet, five-bar flagtails… the list goes on!
And to finish the day, a most impressive island sunset over the water. The photo says enough! |
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spotted Eagle Ray - Laura Smith
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