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two humpback whales and they were rolling around
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date: 9/8/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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Weather: Sunny
Air Temp: 22.3ºC
Wind: SW/SE 10-20 knots
Water Temp: 20ºC
Water Visibility: 30m
Sea State: Moderate
Today the island was blessed with beautiful sunny conditions and incredibly active wildlife.
Guests on the glass bottom boat enjoyed the great visibility and fish life along second reef and got back on board with smiles beaming. Then the glass bottom boat steamed out to see some whales that were going absolutely berserk only a few hundred metres from the island. It was two humpback whales and they were rolling around next to one of the trawlers that was moored in a area protected from the wind. They then proceeded to come straight under the glass bottom boat and everybody just about fell over with the exhilaration. The two whales played around second reef (unfortunately nobody was snorkelling there!) and came right next to the boat in the crystal clear water. My oh my it was extraordinary. While this was happening about fifteen Manta Rays were feeding along the current line moving so gracefully through the water. The guide joked “If anyone’s getting sick of the whales we have a dozen Mantas over here!” Just when we thought the action was all over one of the whales breached, hoisting its whole body completely out of the water less than one hundred metres away. Everyone held their breath and it was completely silent before the enormous creature hit the water with an almighty splash. Then you couldn’t contain the excitement. Everybody hooted and hollered and said it was one of the most incredible events they had ever witnessed. It was such an unforgettable boat that displayed the absolute magic of the island.
The diving today was brilliant as well. One Discover Scuba Dive (DSD) student came out of the water with his face aglow. He said he didn’t know where to look, every direction was something new, different and amazing. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and how overwhelmed someone could be to experience the underwater paradise of the Great Barrier Reef.
On the Night Stalk guests enjoyed the stars of the beautiful southern sky and learnt about the White Capped Noddy. They were interested to hear about the transformation Lady Elliot Island goes through during summer when all of the birds come back to nest. They were also interested that Lady Elliot is considered to have the second greatest species diversity of birds on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
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skipper Wayne - J Fox
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