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Manta Rays and loads of turtles were seen

date: 19/4/2009
Author:Nick Brennan

Weather: Sunshine!
Air Temperature:   25.6°C
Wind Speed / Direction: SW/SE 10 knots
Water Temperature:   24-5°C
Water Visibility:   20+ m
Sea State: Calm

Brilliant one day and perfect the next! The great weather continues here at Lady Elliot Island and so do the big smiles. The early bird well and truly caught the worm this morning with over twenty Manta Rays seen out at the lighthouse bombies enjoying the plankton being brought in with the mild current. Guests came out of the water with their eyes as wide as dinner plates coming to terms with what they had seen.
The visibility remained perfect for the Glass Bottom boats and the action kept coming thick and fast. Manta Rays and loads of turtles were seen by snorkellers making for some thrilling encounters and brilliant photos. Guests counted six turtles in the one photo that’s how many there were! The fish as usual looked brilliant with the species seen too numerous to mention. It was an absolutely magic morning to be on the Great Barrier Reef.
Back on the land guests on the island discovery tour saw a massive school of bait fish next to the shore in front of channel one. They watched as the school warped in shape as a long tom darted in and out enjoying a good feed. At fish feeding Nigel the silver drummer rocked up for afternoon tea. This charismatic little fellow has been coming by a lot lately and everybody loves him swimming about their legs in his usual clumsy way.
Guests then went on an afternoon snorkel safari out past Spiders Ledge on the hunt for Mantas, and the adventure came good with two swimming right around the group. They then passed over the shark pool where a lazy looking white tip reef shark was just hanging out giving everybody the chance to observe a shark.
In the evening guests relaxed in the Education Centre and watched the documentary Australia’s Greatest Islands which features Lady Elliot Island. Everybody was rapt with their day they were wrecked from so much time in the water so they trotted off to bed to dream of Manta’s!

most awesome turtle - Jess Howard