 |
|
Monday - guests delighted by the sights
|
date: 10/11/2008
Author:Shay Young
|
CONDITIONS
Weather: Sunny | Air Temp: 26°C | Wind: SE winds 20/30 knots | Water Temp: 24°C | Water Visibility: 20m | Sea State: slight chop
ISLAND LIFE
Critter Encounters:
The morning started with a fairly strong wind from the south east making the western side the perfect place to be – nice and sheltered from the wind.
The glass bottom boat headed out through the small waves to Second Reef with many guests delighted by the sights they were witnessing; a white tip reef shark swam ever so gracefully over the sediment right underneath the boat allowing all the guests to see this amazing creature first hand before jumping in to experience other creatures. A whip tail ray was partially buried in the sediment using its bioelectric receptors to detect any slight movements in the sediment from small crustaceans and molluscs - the main food source for the ray; once the prey is detected the ray will dig into the sediment and use its powerful crushing plates to devour its prey. Turtles mating were once again sighted now a very regular occurrence in our waters with the female mating with as many males as possible before nesting; having the amazing ability to store the sperm certainly works in the female turtles advantage as once she lays she will no longer need to mate before laying any other clutches in the season as she utilizes all the stored stock.
The bird watching tour took a glimpse into the lives of some of those wader, land and sea birds. The bridled terns, common and white capped noddies are now all sitting on eggs, awaiting their young to hatch out; with ruddy turnstones and frigates seen overhead observing the island from above and ever so silent pacific golden plovers on the airstrip. Silvereyes were also spotted in the scrub moving quickly from one branch to another blending in with the green foliage; a buff banded rail family was also spotted amongst the scrub with 2 chicks visible.
The island discovery tour headed around the resort to observe some of the natural and manmade happenings that formed the island we know today. The beach rock was of particular interest with guests noticing the coral skeletons all imbedded in this rock; the beach rock has formed here due to the freshwater running through the island becoming highly saturated with phosphates from the guano; as it leaches out into the ocean from the freshwater lens, the fresh and salt waters meet and the phosphate drops out solution and binds with the sediment and coral therefore forming beach rock.
The divers today stuck to the western side of the island with the afternoon dive heading out to Second Reef drifting to Spiders Ledge. Feather mouth’s were seen eating and could even be observed grasping sediment to their feathers and bringing it to the centre of their mouth. A bull ray glided past for all to see and a black tip reef shark also made its presence known as it investigated the divers.
|
|
Golden Plover - Shay Young
|
click to download flash player