‘Out on a swim’ is a coral reef blog that tells the stories of the characters who live under the waves and what has caught my eye when ‘out on a swim’ in the lagoons of Norfolk Island. It is also a record of the difficulties Norfolk Island’s reef faces, like many others around the world, as a result of the poor water quality that has been allowed to flow onto it.
This page shows the most recent blog posts. For the complete catalogue, visit the ‘Out on a swim index’ page.
This blog is rated in the Top 20 Coral Reef Blogs in the world.
Doris, a week after she was taken into rehab
Many of the turtles that live in Norfolk Island’s coral-reef lagoons are juveniles. In other words, they are the future of their species, and an important piece in the genetic jigsaw. Yet they seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to being protected by the EPBC Act.
Read MoreHannah and Trish with Doris
This morning marked the end of a four-month journey for Doris the green sea turtle. From a sick, emaciated turtle with lesions across her shell, and covered with an unhealthy growth of algae, she has been transformed to glossy beautiful health. Hannah slid Doris over the side of the boat and back into the bosom of the ocean, her home. We’ll miss her, but as she swam away, our hearts sang, too. She’s back where she should be.
Read MoreBubble-tip anemone
Emily Bay never fails to lift my spirits. Today in my ‘Out on a Swim’ blog, I talk about our beautiful, elegant snake eels. We have at least three different species. I also saw my elusive spotfin squirrelfish, and our two resident green sea turtles snoozing next to each other. Naawww!
Read MoreEmily Bay in the spring sunshine. The seas outside the lagoons were wild this week.
I won’t lie, it has been a wipe-out in the bays this week with huge swells and poor visibility. I more than made up for it this morning. Everyone was out and about enjoying the spring sunshine. Apart from the turtle. She was asleep! Read here to find out who else was enjoying the sunshine.
Read MoreSnubnose dart
I can guarantee that each time I head out into Norfolk Island’s lagoons I will see something new or interesting. This week was no different. Here is a quick wrap up of some of my more noteworthy observations this week while out on a swim.
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