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Friday - reef exposed more than usual by low tide
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date: 17/10/2008
Author:Laura Smith
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CONDITIONS
Weather: Overcast, early showers | Air Temp: 24.2°C | Wind: SE 20/30 knots | Water Temp: 23°C | Water Visibility: ~ 15 m | Sea State: Medium swell, choppy
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
What an amazing day on the glass-bottom boat! Even through the wind was a-blowing, the rain a-pelting, and the waves a-rolling, our guests joined in island fever and ensured fun was had by all aboard! Guest after guest after guest re-boarded the boat after their snorkel exclaiming how “lovely”, “unbelievable” and “beautiful” it was. One gentleman eagerly described, “a large school of big blue fish swirling around the coral, it was just amazing!” Meanwhile, guests that chose to stay aboard enjoyed the spectacular sight of humpback whales breaching on the horizon. As the trip was coming to an end and we were motoring back to shore, skipper Adam spotted the spout of a huge humpback whale fairly close by. The whale came so close to our boat that it was in earshot – an audible “pfffuh” could be heard as the whale exhaled, blowing a cloud of steamy breath into the air.
The low tide today was an extremely low 0.62 metres, exposing the reef more than usual and making for excellent reef walking conditions. The extraordinary diversity of coral around Lady Elliot Island captured the interest of reef walkers today. The inanimate appearance of corals conceals their often-aggressive nature. To maintain their own growth space, some species leak chemicals into the surrounding water to make it an unfavourable environment for a competitor neighbour to grow in. Other species are so aggressive in defense of their growing space that they actually extend digesting tentacles out to any neighbour that dares grow too close, and eat it alive right off its skeleton! One species of coral that took the interest of today’s reef walkers was Goniopora, a hard coral that is often mistaken as a soft coral due to its stalked, swaying polyps. One colony we observed today had its polyps extended far into the water, making visible the intricate structure of each individual little animal. Scuttling crabs, brilliant pencil slate urchins, and vivid blue Linckia sea stars were just some of the other delights seen today.
Those who weren’t on this morning’s SCUBA dive can’t help but be envious of the lucky divers – they dived with dolphins, the ultimate critter encounter. WOOHOO!!
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Flat reef - Laura Smith
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