‘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.
Full moon rising over our home on Norfolk Island, #DownArthurs
The full moon last night brought us some beautiful, settled weather, right on cue, which meant I was able to get out into Slaughter Bay for the first time in ages. Click here to read what was happening in the coral reef lagoons of Norfolk Island.
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 MoreA school of sand mullet, Myxus elongatus
This week’s observations while out on a swim, included some very active and inquisitive green moon wrasse. One, in particular, followed me for a good half an hour as I made my way around the reef off the Salt House. Find out more about what was happening beneath the waves on Norfolk Island this week.
Read MoreConvict snake eel - Leiuranus versicolor
A beautiful banded snake eel, Leiuranus semicinctus, popped into view on Saturday. These gorgeous guys are docile and will dive head first into the sand if you get too close. Read on to discover how many types of snake eel we have in Norfolk Island’s lagoons.
Read MoreAugust is the coldest month of the year in the water here on Norfolk Island, with the temperature hovering around 18–19C. Not only do some swimmers turn a little bit blue if they stay in too long, so too do some of the corals. Read on to find out why.
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.
Read MoreCollector urchin - Tripneustes gratilla
August on Norfolk Island is the coolest month of the year. The southerly winds have been bringing in pounding surf and reduced visibility in the bays. For those who are interested, the water temperature has been hovering between 17C and 18C. This week I showcase some of the different species of sea urchins in our bays and provide a few fast facts about them.
Read MoreHealthy Acropora, plate coral, in Cemetery Bay
We’ve had more than 55 years of warnings, reports and alarm bells about the water quality entering ‘pristine’ Emily and Slaughter Bays, so we know exactly what is harming our marine ecosystem. Now we just have to fix it.
Read MoreThe clear water of Emily Bay lagoon on Norfolk Island
What has taken me down the path from a day job as a writer, editor and communicator to creating a website about Norfolk Island’s coral reef habitat? The story of how and why norfolkislandreef.com.au came into being.
Read MoreA platygyra that has dramatically asserted its own space
How do corals assert their space on the reef? Who are the best gardners and protective parents? And have you heard of white syndrome? Sadly we have it on Norfolk Island’s reef. Read more here.
Read MoreGreen sea turtle
This week in Out on a Swim I quickly sum up the problems around the use of unsafe sunscreens that contain chemicals such as oxybenzone. These can cause ecological ruination to coral reefs and to the fish that call these reefs home. Read more here.
Read MoreSpotted porcupinefish, Diodon hystrix
Over the years, the raft has provided shelter beneath its timbers for a thriving fish nursery. Beneath the raft was an amazing sight, teeming with fry. Last year we got a brand new raft made to a different design to the one we had before; now it sports flotation tanks beneath it. Since then, for whatever reason, the fish simply have not used the raft that much as a nursery.
Read MoreSlaughter Bay from Point Hunter, Lone Pine, low tide 27 June 2021
There’s been plenty going on under the waves here on Norfolk island, while above the waves we’ve just had the most fabulous mid-winter weather. With a full moon on 24 June, we experienced some wonderful low, low tides. Did you know that peak low tides always lag the full moon (and new moon) by a day or so?
Read MoreCemetery Bay, Norfolk Island
This week in the Norfolk Island lagoons saw some old friends return and some new (to me) visitors that appeared in Emily Bay for the first time. I also paid a visit to the more exposed Cemetery Bay for the first time since the storms went through.
Read MoreThe first time I saw these glitzy glamour bubbles I had no idea what I was looking at, so I took a photo and went home to do some digging. A little research uncovered a really cool organism. Commonly known as a dead sailor’s eyeballs, or bubble algae, they shine like small mirrors, catching the light. But the BEST bit about these bubbles is that they are one of the largest single-celled organisms in the world.
Read MoreNotch-head marblefish
Underwater, feather caulerpa, Caulerpa taxifolia, looks like a gorgeous, lush, green meadow.
Read MoreHealthy corals, Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Today is Bounty Day here on Norfolk Island. It’s a day of celebration for Norfolk Islanders of Pitcairn descent – the day when, in 1856, their forbears first arrived on the island. Sadly, in the water, we have had some parts of the reef destroyed by huge surf. On the upside, the circle of life continues with some great observations, including large numbers of surge wrasse, Thalassoma purpureum, and much more.
Read MoreIs this coral endemic to Norfolk Island?
Today is the first day of winter with cool winds blowing straight up from Antarctica. Many readers will laugh, but for a sub-tropical island, we are really feeling the wind chill at the moment. However, as always, I have some exciting observations to recount.
Read MoreElegant wrasse - Anampses elegans (terminal phase, male)
Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Like many places around the globe, Norfolk Island has its issues with getting rid of waste. Even so, Norfolk Island is one of the cleanest places I’ve seen; however, we know we can’t be complacent. So, back in February 2021, it was gut-wrenching to see a couple of sand mullet – Myxus elongatus – wearing plastic collars – those rings found on plastic juice and milk bottles. Sometimes these rings escape into the wild, and this is the sad consequence.
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