No images? Click here WHAT HAVE WE SEEN?? Let's hear from some of the people who spend every day on the #greatbarrierreef! Our Dive and Activities team are sharing below an update on the marine life that have been sighted in the waters surrounding Lady Elliot Island over the past few weeks! Although the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed all year round on Lady Elliot Island, water visibility during the winter months is exceptional and manta rays are particularly prevalent making for some very special encounters! "Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of activity from the manta rays! Numerous courtship trains have been sighted by both snorkellers and scuba divers and consistent feeding chains have also been seen almost daily! There have been plenty of humpback whales out wide of the island as well as closer in - some as close as inside the Lighthouse Bommies! There have been a lot of humpback whale calves practicing their breaching alongside their mums. Last week we saw two pairs of mums and calves resting inside of the Lighthouse Bommies. There have been a handful of extremely flat surface condition days and visibility has been consistently good. There has also been a recent sighting of an ornate eagle ray (possibly an individual named Dixie) near the Severance shipwreck. There has also been an abundance of Octopus sightings in the lagoon!" NEW DOLPHIN MAKING A SPLASH! Welcome to our newest member of our bottlenose dolphin family, Splash! Guests have been delighted to meet Splash over the last few weeks. Sticking close by mum, they both have been sighted fairly regularly at the Coral Gardens! Splash was kindly named by one of the Bundaberg Reef Guardian Students this week at the Science Together event. Always ensure to follow our Eco Guidelines and keep your distance when encountering marine life such as dolphins, manta rays and turtles. These species are protected inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and any marine life with young are particularly vulnerable - please take extra care. RENOVATIONS UPDATE Renovations have almost wrapped up on the final block of Garden Units! This is a huge milestone for our team having now completed the refurbishment of all resort rooms which began back in 2018. A huge thank you to our maintenance team and contractors who do an excellent job at refurbishing these units! We have several other large projects coming up so keep your eyes peeled on our social media for updates! These renovations are a part of our commitment to continually improving the resort and ensuring that we are providing a high-quality experience for our guests. Did you know!? These units were sent via barge to Lady Elliot Island in the 1984 by John & Judy French. John & Judy were the lease holders at the time and sourced the secondhand buildings from an abandoned coal mining camp in Blackwater! PLASTIC FREE JULY INSTAGRAM COMPEITION The Plastic Free July Instagram competition has wrapped up with some thought-provoking and inspiring entries. The overall winner has taken home a day trip for two to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and runners up also received a little Lady Elliot gift! Each week we hold an ocean plastic crisis presentation in our Education Centre, as well as collecting and tallying marine debris that washes up on our beaches. We are passionate about educating future generations on solutions to plastic and why we need to give our environment and our marine animals a helping hand. Image Credit: @rosgfcooking BUNDABERG REEF GUARDIAN SCHOOLS CELEBRATE 20 YEARS In early August, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort joined the Science Together event in Bundaberg to celebrate 20 years of reef learning! Since kicking off in 2003, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reef Guardian School program started with just five schools and has gone on to involve more than 300 schools, almost 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students each year. “The program empowers students to learn about the multiple, cumulative, and increasing threats that face the Reef and coral reef ecosystems worldwide and how they can take informed action to improve the future for all reefs" - Reef Authority’s Assistant Director Reef Education Holly Lambert. Science Together Celebrating 20 Years of Reef Guardian Schools Amy Gash Guest Speaker WOMEN OF THE YEAR FINALIST Congratulations to Custodian, Amy Gash, who has been recgonised in the Gold Coast Bulletin brought to you by Harvey Norman 'Women of the Year Awards' in the Environmental Warriors category! If you would like to vote for Amy for the People's Choice Award, please click here. LOOKING AFTER LADY ELLIOT ISLAND AND THE WIDER GBR The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Tourism Reef Protection Initiative has reached the halfway mark with some impressive statistics to share! Over 71,000 Drupella snails have been removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the last 12 months and almost 5,000 surveys have been completed. A fantastic job from the high standard tourism operators involved! The below snapshot outlines the efforts across the entire Great Barrier Reef and operators involved in the GBRMPA Tourism Reef Protection Initiative. Image Credit: Commonwealth of Australia (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority) Click the link below to read our two latest blog posts! In July we published a blog about what we are doing to protect and preserve the reef surrounding Lady Elliot Island. In August, we shared with readers where they should look to find The Great Eight! Pictured: One of two Glamping Tents 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. The resort is heavily booked over the next twelve months with very limited availability and high demand. To secure your stay at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort we highly recommend you check out the 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 to 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] The Day Tour departing from the Gold Coast (Coolangatta) and Brisbane (Redcliffe) is on special with a saving of up to $236 per adult! Experience the pristine beauty of the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy low level flying up the east coast of Australia taking in aerial views of the Gold Coast skyline, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) and landing on the Great Barrier Reefs only coral cay with an airstrip! Spending 5 hours exploring the natural environment of Lady Elliot Island, you’ll snorkel with friendly turtles and an array of amazing marine life. Sit back and enjoy a hot and cold buffet lunch with a complimentary sparkling wine or beer whilst overlooking the Great Barrier Reef. Feel free to join in on one of the many educational activities available and learn how the fully self-sufficient resort operates on renewable energy technologies! Explore the vast Australian Outback in a unique way! 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! Seair Touring is Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort's sister company and the exclusive air service provider to Lady Elliot Island. To read more about our tours and Seair Pacific, click below: 3-Day Outback Adventure Experience some of the most remote and iconic parts of Australia in 2023 on Seair Touring’s 3-day Outback Adventure, our most popular touring option! 2023 DEPARTURE DATES 19 Aug 2023 - SOLD OUT 15 Sep 2023 - SOLD OUT 25th Sep 2023 - 6 seats 3-Day Outback to Reef Experience the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef and the iconic outback on Seair Touring’s 3-day Outback to Reef Adventure! 2023 DEPARTURE DATES 6 Oct 2023 - 6 seats |