No images? Click here WHY WINTER IS WONDERFUL! Tis’ the season to be snorkelling or diving! As the water temperatures drop, an influx of Manta rays and Humpback whales’ hit Lady Elliot Island! It is understood that the drop in water temperatures brings with it a much-desired food source for the Manta rays and between the months of May to August, they can be seen aggregating in larger numbers around the island. Humpback whales have begun their annual migration and regular sightings can occur on our scenic flights, from our glass bottom boat tours and whilst snorkelling and diving. Almost daily during the season (June to October), whale songs can be heard under the water while swimming, snorkelling, and diving so listen out for some interesting sounds under the surface! Photo Credit: Jeremy Somerville RENOVATION SNEAK PEAK The team have been hard at work for the last few months on our 2-bedroom Beachfront Units and wow, have they done a great job! Two of our five units have now been renovated with the remaining three to begin renovations between mid-July to mid-September. The 2-bedroom Beachfront Units can accommodate up to four people and feature a separate air-conditioned lounge room and private bathroom as well as absolute beach frontage. ISLAND BLOG Keep up to date with the latest news and sightings from the island with our Island Blogs! Our recent blogs focus on the 2020-2021 Turtle Season, recent research into Manta Rays and soon, our work with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to remove Crown-of-thorns starfish and Drupella snails! Head on over to our website for some happy reading! RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD UPDATE Our colony of Red-tailed Tropicbirds have been very busy over the last two months! So far this year we have one new individual named Oscar who is now ready to spread his wings and fly any day now! You may have also heard that Lady Elliot is home to the longest living Red-tailed Tropicbird in the world at 23 years of age, well, it has just parented its next offspring as seen in the below image! Photo Credit: Leaf to Reef Research Team TOURISM INDUSTRY ACTIVATION AND REEF PROTECTION INITIATIVE OVERALL STATISTICS During the months of March - June this year, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort partnered with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to keep an ‘Eye on the Reef’ and ensure our reef is in the best possible condition for our guests and the inhabitants of the ecosystem! The initiative was a great success for the island with some fantastic statistics below. Stay tuned for the overall statistics for the initiative involving 17 organisations which will be released in an upcoming blog post. This initiative was made possible by funding through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as part of the Australian Government’s COVID Recovery and Relief Fund. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia (GBRMPA), Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort 450 hours spent looking after the reef 80 reef health surveys completed 800 Crown-of-thorns starfish removed 10,000 Drupella snails removed New manta rays were identified for the database MEET OUR NEWEST MASTER REEF GUIDE, MARY! Mary started working on Lady Elliot Island in October of 2016 and is a huge part of the island's Activities team. Mary is passionate about the reef, not only because of its beauty and diversity but also because of what it does to people. Mary commented, "I've seen it change people's lives just as it has changed mine, you're transported to another world the moment you put your face under the surface and it never gets old" Mary's most memorable encounter on the island was with four juvenile Humpback whales that expressed curiosity in her tour group. The whales' spy hopped and circled around Mary and her group for at least half an hour as they remained basically motionless in the water! Keep an eye out for Mary on your island tours such as guided reef walks, snorkel safaris, and glass-bottom boats. This month, we asked to hear some of your stories from visiting us here at Lady Elliot Island, and we were delighted with some of the heartwarming and exciting responses! "A few weeks ago, my 20-year-old son and I were out at the lighthouse bommies by ourselves in the late afternoon. We were about four feet away from each other with our heads out of the water when my son said "there is a fin behind you!" and a second later a dolphin jumped out of the water between us and then swam around us. Two minutes after that we had a huge Manta Ray swim up and around us for 25 minutes. I just can't find the words to express how awesome it was!" - @chezaspackman "So many things, but perhaps our favourite was snorkelling the morning after the reef spawned. I never believed pink snow existed, but now I do. Even more importantly, the health of the reef was clearly visible with so many happy coral polyps and marine life feasting just doing their natural thing!" - @alittleatlarge "After looking for nesting turtles we went for an early morning walk down to the lagoon one morning and came around the corner to see a huge turtle on the top of the beach in front of the reef units... I raced back to wake the kids who then all sprinted back and we stood and watched for about four hours as she made her nest, laid her eggs, covered them over, and slowly made her way back down the beach" - @nicky.c Photo Credit : Narelle Bouveng @alittleatlarge AVAILABILITY CALENDAR Our basic but comfortable 44 room eco-resort will offer you an opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and explore the pristine Southern Great Barrier Reef. With international borders remaining closed we continue to see a very high number of locals wishing to #holidayherethisyear The resort is heavily booked over the next 6 months with very limited availability and high demand. To secure your stay at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort we highly recommend you check our online availability calendar on our website first. If your intended travel dates are available on the calendar and you are ready to make a booking, we recommend you contact our reservations team via phone on 1800 072 200 to confirm the dates are still available as availability can change rapidly at this time. Alternatively, once you have checked the availability calendar and you would like to arrange a booking or would like a quote, please email our friendly reservations team on [email protected] Turtle season is the time of year that we see both Green sea turtles and Loggerhead turtles making their way out of the water and up onto our beaches to deposit their eggs into the sand. The season begins each year in late October and extends until roughly April or May (inclusive of hatchlings). Escape to Lady Elliot Island to observe and encounter our resident turtles both above and below the water and learn about our conservation efforts underway to protect these vulnerable species! VALID FOR TRAVEL: 15 JANUARY 2022 – 31 MARCH 2022 SALE PERIOD EXTENDED UNTIL 31ST AUGUST
2022 OUTBACK TOURSExplore the best of Queensland! With the desire to #holidayhere and #exploreyourbackyard, these tours are filling up quickly! Travelling in a Seair Touring Cessna Caravan Aircraft, your group will be flown to some of the most iconic places in Queensland and Australia. Guided by your knowledgable pilot, expert commentary and local knowledge will bring Outback Australia and its rich history to life. Click below for more information or contact the Seair Touring reservations team via email [email protected] or call +61 7 5599 4509 to reserve your seat now! 3-day Outback Adventure Experience some of the most remote and iconic parts of Australia in 2021 on Seair Touring’s 3-day Outback Adventure! 2022 DEPARTURE DATES 1 April 2022 - 10 Seats Available 29 April 2022 - 9 Seats Available 1 June 2022 - 10 Seats Available 10 June 2022 - 10 Seats Available 15 July 2022 - 10 Seats Available 11 August 2022 - 10 Seats Available 3-day Outback 2 Reef #exploreyourbackyard in 2021 and experience the best of Queensland on Seair Touring’s 3-day Outback to Reef Adventure! 2022 DEPARTURE DATES 16 September 2022 - 10 Seats Available 7 October 2022 - 10 Seats Available 4-day Ultimate QLD Experience Explore the highlights of Outback Queensland in 2021 on Seair Touring’s 4-day Ultimate QLD Experience! 2022 DEPARTURE DATES 15 April 2022 - 5 Seats Available 20 May 2022 - 10 Seats Available 21 June 2022 - 10 Seats Available 29 July 2022 - 10 Seats Available |