Your December Lady Elliot Island E-Newsletter No Images? Click here SEASON'S GREETINGS | TURTLE TIME | REDUCE. REUSE. RECAFFEINATE | CARBON OFFSET SEASONS GREETINGSOn behalf of Peter Gash and the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort team, we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for your support during 2017! We hope you have a magical break over the Christmas period and we look forward to celebrating Christmas Day with everyone on the Island. We hope to see you on our Island paradise in the New Year. TURTLE TIMEOf the six species of sea turtles found in Australian waters, three species are commonly seen in the waters surrounding Lady Elliot Island. From November to March Turtle Nesting season takes place with Green and Loggerhead Turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Nesting normally occurs after dark, at a time when there is sufficient water for them to swim ashore, usually in association with the high tide and good moonlight. Nesting can occur anywhere around the Island but the majority of nests have been recorded in front of the resort and either end of the airstrip where the beach is sufficient with soft sand above the water line. The nesting process can take between 2-8 hours depending on the turtle species, and how quickly a suitable nesting site is located. Females lay a number of clutches of eggs during the season, at intervals of approximately two weeks. The number of clutches in a season varies dependant on the species, with Loggerheads generally laying 3-5 clutches and Greens laying 5-7 clutches. Turtles do not breed every season. On average, Loggerheads nest at 3-5-year intervals and Greens next at 5-7-year intervals. This season over 800 turtle tracks have been counted and 70 nests recorded from both Loggerhead and Green Turtles. The first hatchlings of the season are expected to emerge on Boxing Day! Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for turtle updates. Photo: Trent Mulligan Photography REDUCE. REUSE. RECAFFEINATE.We are excited to announce that our very own branded KeepCups have arrived and are now available for purchase in our Gift Shop! For a limited time, purchase your reusable coffee cup and receive a coffee on the house. Did you know that over one billion take-away coffee cups are sent to landfill each year in Australia! Just one small action can make a difference. LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT HELPS MON REPOS TURTLES THROUGH CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMThanks to our generous guest donations, the first 6 months of the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Carbon Offset Program will see 1,700 native trees planted by partner organisation Greenfleet in the Barolin Nature Reserve, adjacent to the Mon Repos Turtle Rookery, Bundaberg. Over their lifetime, these trees will offset more than 450 tonnes of carbon from flights to and from Lady Elliot Island and form part of a ‘green curtain’ to protect nesting turtles and turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos from disturbance and disorientation due to artificial light. The Barolin Nature Reserve is particularly important to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort due to the positive impact on the Mon Repos turtle rookery which plays a significant role in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem and life cycle of turtles. Mon Repos is a key global nesting area for the vulnerable Green and is the most significant turtle nesting population in the South Pacific region for the endangered Loggerhead turtles. The planting of these native trees in the Reserve will also have the following benefits: * Improve the water quality flowing into the Great Barrier Reef * Create habitats for native and migratory species; and * Reduce soil erosion through the binding action of the trees The Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Carbon Offset Program offers guests to voluntarily donate AU $2.00 per person to help reduce the environmental impact of their holiday and to compliment the leading eco initiatives the Resort has implemented on the Island. THE CHARACTERS OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEFBLUE SPOTTED LAGOON RAY These small rays can be easily identified by their striking colour pattern of many electric blue spots on a yellowish background, with a pair of blue stripes on the tail. Be mindful if you spot one as they do have a venomous tail, although they do prefer to flee if threatened. Photo: Jeremy Somerville BECOME A CITIZEN OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEFOften it feels like the challenges that face our Reef and planet are too big to tackle. The kind of change required is immense, but it is only when we act en masse that we can make this kind of change. If enough of us get involved, we can show what is possible for the reef and the planet. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort strongly support the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef and its enormously important mission. “The actions of people across the planet will define the future of the Great Barrier Reef” – Andy Ridley, Founder of Earth Hour & CEO Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef Photo Credit: Michael Smith – Into the Wild Photography |