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blue green chromis fish was in enormous abundance
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date: 28/9/2009
Author:Nick Brennan
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Weather: Windy morning easing throughout the day, overall sunny pleasant weather
Wind: South West/ South East 10/20 knots
Water Temp: 23°C
Water Visibility: 5m in the morning, 20m+ by midday
Sea State: Calm
Well today started very similar to yesterday except that the smoke and dust had cleared to blue sunny skies.
Guests on the glass bottom boat had the good fortune to see a half a dozen Manta rays through the clear blue water. It appeared that one pair of Manta’s were exhibiting some courting behaviour mimicking each others movements and following closely behind almost touching its tail - a little bit like elephants! It was a wild display with some acrobatic maneuvers and some quick passes by the boat letting guests snap away with their cameras. Turtles were absolutely everywhere across second reef with guests relishing the time amongst them. These are endangered animals remember, it is a sensational feeling to see this precious animal right in front of you and not scared at all to be there! The blue green chromis fish was in enormous abundance owing to the plankton in the water. They are such a flashy fish and their presence made the reef shimmer with colour.
In the afternoon guests enjoyed learning about some of the birds that have appeared recently for the summer nesting season. One of the particularly fascinating birds is the pacific golden plover that migrates all the way from Siberia to escape the harsh winter, that’s a long way to come for a buffet. The white capped noddies are in all of the trees now and they are also a very interesting bird. They migrate over to the Swain Reefs which are about 200km away for the winter time to feed and put on weight and come back to Lady Elliot to breed during the summer months. They come here in astronomical numbers occupying every nook and cranny of every tree.
In the evening it was time for some reef trivia. Everybody got into it including the kids and there were some very funny questions and games- one of the games was to catch a staff member. The staff member ran away as fast as possible and although he was quick he came back in the building with kids hanging off him laughing and with a winner. It was a great end to the evening, it tired everybody out and they probably went to sleep before their heads touched the pillow.
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