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Sunday - Turtles breeding
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date: 5/10/2008
Author:Laura Smith
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Beautiful! Not a cloud in the sky! | Air Temp: 26.6°C | Wind: NE 10/15 knots | Water Temp: 23°C | Water Visibility: ~ 20 m | Sea State: Moderate swell, calm in the afternoon
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
Seven adventurers joined me on the Snorkel Safari this afternoon. As the boat approached the shore to pick us up, a bottlenose dolphin leapt clear of the water! Followed by another…. then another… and another!! For just a moment, the surface of the water was broken by tens of dolphin fins, before they disappeared again. As we headed out to our snorkeling drop-off point, an olive sea snake was seen swimming through the water below the glass windows of the deck - And this was all before we’d even entered the water! Once in the water, snorkellers were dazzled by the diversity of marine life. A green turtle tearing bites from a clump of turtle weed, a hawksbill turtle chomping on some branching coral, a huge grouper lazily swimming, cleaner wrasse darting in and out of the mouths and gills of larger fish… it’s truly amazing to observe reef inhabitants go about their day-to-day business, showing little concern for us snorkellers. What an experience!
SCUBA divers were excited to see “Sigfreud” the silvertip shark as they emerged from The Blowhole. This was the first of many shark sightings for this dive, with several white-tip reef sharks and a black tip reef shark cruising. Both SCUBA divers and snorkellers have regularly been sighting courting and mating turtles, and today was no exception, with many mating green sea turtles seen today, bobbing on the surface in the shallows along the reef edge, providing an amazing opportunity for our guests to bear witness to this wonderful display of nature.
The Reef Rangers (kids’ club) had a wonderful time today learning about our intriguing coral cay environment. First thing this morning was beachcombing. All kinds of interesting flotsam was discovered, including a large, fully formed box fruit, and a sea hare! Escaping the heat of the day in the afternoon, reef rangers relaxed over some craft activities, including making beautiful Rainbow Fish.
Special Events / Activities:
Last night’s Pirate Party was a fun family event for all involved. The Reef Rangers had spent the afternoon making pirate costumes and decorations, and the pirated-up bar area looked fantastic! With bandanas, hook-hands, and eye patches donned, children and adults alike played island-style party games, including coconut bowls and limbo.
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Mating Turtles - Laura Smith
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