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a giant green turtle that was ... probably 250kg
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date: 14/7/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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Weather: Sunny and overcast in the afternoon
Air Temp: 23.5ºC
Wind: NW 15-20 knots
Water Temp: 21ºC
Water Visibility: ~15m
Sea State: Wild
The westerly wind really blew up today and made the western side of the island like a washing machine. The visibility was still very nice so the glass bottom boat steamed around to the eastern side of the island where it was a little calmer. On the way around the boat encountered a Manta Ray feeding on the surface. It looked beautiful gracefully flapping its wings through the turquoise water. The boat moored up to go snorkeling at Hiros Cave and was lucky to see a giant green turtle that was on the upper limits of its size at probably 250kg. It was happy sitting right behind the boat and just taking in the sun much to the excitement of everybody. In the water another absolutely monster sized manta ray passed underneath the snorkelers. It was quite deep down but it gave everybody an idea of the size these wonderful creatures get to. Towards the end of the snorkel some boys came across a shark! They weren’t one hundred per cent sure of its species because they got such a fright that they came back to the boat. Nick the guide was happy to explain that it was probably just a reef shark and that they are perfectly harmless to humans with the crux of their diet being small fish.
In the evening guests on a night stalk to discover some of the nocturnal life here at Lady Elliot Island. The guide showed them the white-capped noddy which is actually the most abundant bird on the island and flocks here during the summer months arriving in astronomical numbers. The bird goes out to sea to fish during the day so it is only really possible to see them during the winter months at night. It is a very cute little bird that gets its name from the nodding motion it does when releasing salt from a special gland on the back of its neck that allows it to drink sea water. The group also saw a hermit crab on the beach that was a bit frightened from all the commotion and hid right back up in its shell. Around at the staff accommodation the group enjoyed seeing a whole lot of green tree frogs that were living in a pool of fresh water. On the way back to the resort the guide showed and explained the southern cross to everybody. The stars looked very beautiful and topped off a day of sensory delight here at Lady Elliot.
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summer visitors - J Fox
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