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Manta Ray swimming gracefully overhead
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date: 25/8/2009
Author:Jess Howard
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Weather: Hot and Windy
Air Temp: 26ºC
Wind: North/North Westerly 15-20 knots
Water Temp: 22ºC
Water Visibility: ~15m
Sea State: Calm
Once again, a bit windy for the western side, so divers and snorkelers headed off from the southern end of the airstrip into the calm water of the eastern side. Divers drifted along the edge of the reef, finding some Silvertip sharks and a lone Manta Ray swimming gracefully overhead. Once in the water, snorkelers were surrounded by black-tip reef sharks, Green turtles and beautifully coloured fish.
A small hawksbill turtle stayed around the Glassbottom boat, flitting in and out from beneath the glass.
Island Discoverers in the afternoon wandered along the eastern beach talking about how Lady Elliot formed and some of its unique history and vegetation. The Red Tailed Tropic Birds posed for a delightful photo, with the parents flanking the chick on both sides, and all looking directly at the cameras poised in front of them. The other two Tropic Birds, both sitting on eggs, gave one glance at their audience before closing their eyes and drifting back off to sleep. Well, its hard work sitting on an egg all day!!
A slightly higher tide for fish feeding meant some different visitors today and Moon wrasse filled the fish pool. Males, females and juveniles, all different sizes swarmed in looking for food. The Picasso Triggerfish came so close in, he was actually near people’s ankles, that’s improvement for him. The Mullet, sergeant Majors, and Moses Perch all scooted around, making sure the newcomers didn’t get ALL the food.
Nightstalkers at 7:30 wandered to the Lighthouse, with a keen lookout for Suzannah (she wasn’t found) to talk about new and old Lighthouses. What was found, however, were TEN Green Tree Frogs on the drain outside House 2, all in varying shades of green and grey. The frogs began moving around, much to the guests delight, and for the guide to prove that they were in fact real, and she didn’t plant them there! All fun and games here on Lady Elliot!
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Manta - J Howard
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