Macca's Meanderings

Hi again In the previous blog we headed east from Croker Island to Grant Island. Today we headed west along the northern coast of the Cobourg Peninsula. To save some time we launched off the beach near the Croker Island airport on the west side of the island to avoid having to boat half way around Croker Island. After carefully threading our way through some reef we were out into the Bowens Straits. The photo below is looking back toward the rising morning sun. The Bowen Straits can be very rough if the wind and tide are not favourable. The nearby point on Cobourg Peninsula is named Danger Point for this reason. This morning however the seas were kind. We met the Cobourg rangers and the CDU scientists near Sandy Island off Danger Point. As the conditions were favourable they were keen to check out Sandy Island - a known nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles. No nests were found.  We were being watched by a pair of Sea Eagles guarding their nest. Many seagulls also use Sandy Island ...

Hi again for another week. The Garngi Rangers have had a busy week with quite a few hours on the water. For two days we worked with the Northern Territory Government National Park rangers from the Coburg Peninsula and some scientists. The name of the park is Garig Gunak Barlu. 'Garig' is the language that was once spoken there however sadly there are now no surviving speakers. 'Gunak' means country - both land and sea. And 'Barlu' means wide open blue waters. Some scientist from the Charles Darwin Uni (CDU) are seeking to gain a better understanding of marine animals like turtlers, dugong, manta rays, dolphins and false killers whales - that really are a type of dolphin. We met them near Croker Island and headed out to Grant Island to the east of Croker Island, where there are lots of turtles. Below is their vessel - 'Meander 2'.  Before we were able to start our turtle survey work we had to do some 'compliance work'. As we approached Grant Islan...