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Thursday - reappearance of common noddies
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date: 25/9/2008
Author:Laura Smith
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Patchy cloud cover, windy | Air Temp: 23.7°C | Wind: SE 20-30 knots | Water Temp: 23°C | Water Visibility: ~ 15-20 m |Sea State: Choppy
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
The water temperature has crept up yet another degree! SCUBA divers enjoyed the warmer conditions, and it seems so did a throng of marine creatures; several giant moray eels, manta-befriending cobias, inquisitive turtles, shovelnose rays, leopard sharks and hordes of colourful reef fish were all sighted by happy divers today.
Guests off today’s glass bottom and snorkel boat tours were simply awed! To quote one excited snorkeller: “It’s like an enormous undersea garden!” For many of our guests, this is their very first reef experience; others are keen snorkellers and SCUBA divers from way back. After the boat tours today, both the first-timers and the old-time reef enthusiasts were buzzing with enthusiasm!
On the bird watching tour this morning, we were pleasantly surprised by the reappearance of the common noddies. They are absent from the island throughout the wintertime. It’s quite literally as if they have returned overnight, with large numbers resuming their occupation of their usual summertime haunt, just past the southern end of the runway. The crested terns too seem to be appearing in greater numbers every day. Lately they have been creating a loud raucous around the island, squawking as if demanding our attention as they fly over the island.
Gusty wind made for an adventurous reef walk today. Large leopard spot sea cucumbers were seen in abundance. Guests marveled at clams as we passed them. Their mantles are covered in simple eyespots that can discriminate between light and shadow, and as the shadows of reef walkers passed over them, they quickly retracted their mantles back inside their shells. A rare find was a beautiful large bailer shell. It was no longer occupied by its gastropod creator, but close inspection revealed a fascinating tiny fish that had taken up residence inside the old shell.
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Crested Turn - Wayne Fox
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