 |
|
some green turtles were lazing about on the surface
|
date: 11/7/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
|
Weather: Sunshine
Wind: SE 15-20 knots moderating to SE 5-10 knots
Water Temp: 21ºC
Water Visibility: 20m+
Sea State: Moderate
The sun came out and the wind really died down today so by mid morning the Island was looking like a postcard.
The glass bottom boat was lucky to see some enormous humpback whales blowing off the island. These giant mammals can reach a whopping 45 tonnes and although the whales today probably weren’t that big they surely were impressive. The glass bottom boat stayed with them for a few minutes while they remained on the surface until they took a big breath and disappeared. Halfway between second reef and the lighthouse bommies the group also encountered some Manta Rays that were feeding on the surface and were easy to see through the rolling waves. The guests wondered how you could tell if a Manta was eating? The guide explained that when the Manta Ray feeds it curls its special cephalic lobes into an O-shape so as to funnel plankton into its mouth. When they are just swimming about they tend to have their cephalic lobes down flat or twisted up to better streamline its body through the water. The Glass Bottom Boat then came into second reef where some green turtles were lazing about on the surface completing the trifecta of big creatures and making everybody well and truly ecstatic.
The guided reef walk in the afternoon was another great occasion with the group lucky to see a variety of shallow reef creatures. They saw got some great photos with the strikingly coloured blue linckia sea star and the very sharp diadema urchin. They also had the good fortune to see a green turtle that was resting in a shallow pool in channel one. It had plenty of room to move around and looked pretty happy just waiting for the tide to fill back in so it could get on with its business. Then just as the group was almost back on the beach theu spotted an epaulette shark! It is only a small shark that doesn’t have the traditional looking shark shape or colour; it is actually yellow with brown spots. The patches that pilots wear on their shoulders are called Epaulettes, and this shark has a big black oval spot on its shoulder just like an Epaulette. It has tiny grinding teeth to catch its prey of mollusks and crustaceans. It is not commonly seen during the daytime preferring to hunt in the open under darkness. It was quite a thrill for everybody to see this amazing fish.
In the evening every one came into the dining room for a pirate party. They had a great time playing coconut bowls in several different and wacky ways. It was a very entertaining end to a great day on the Great Barrier Reef. |
|
green turtle - A Jones
|
click to download flash player