The Derwent Hunter Reef Adventure day trip is centred around enjoying the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, so it’s no wonder that we care so much for our natural environment.
We participate in the Eye on the Reef program, and help to monitor the health of the reef and island sites we visit. All this very important data goes to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, to help them make important decisions and campaign for legislation to help save our magical reef environment.
Everyone can take part in the Eye on the Reef program with a simple iPhone or Google app. Click on the link to find out more and sign up.
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Cool creatures of the reef
The Blue Tang, aka Dory
With the launch of the movie ‘Finding Dory’ just recently, Nemo’s forgetful sidekick is now in the spotlight. We quite often see blue tangs around our favourite reef spots.
Did you know, they begin life as little yellow fish with spots near their eyes? As they mature, the develop that distinctive blue colour with the black markings and the yellow tail.
Dugong, aka the Sea Cow
The chubbier cousin of the dolphin (not really, they’re not related) is somewhat of a rare sighting, and are very slow to breed.
Did you know, a dugong will only have 1 single baby at a time, and only once every 3 – 7 years, after an 18 month long pregnancy?
They feed on sea grass in shallow waters, so if you are on your own boat, please be careful in shallow waters.
Coral bleaching – what’s the deal?
Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when the water temperatures stay too warm for too long. The corals get stressed, and expel the Zooxanthellae that give them their colour.
The summer of 2016 was warmer than average, and longer than average.
The northern waters of Australia did suffer some bleaching this summer, but the regions around the Whitsundays were left in very good health. In fact, the official figure from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is that less than 3% of Whitsunday reefs were affected.
We can verify this with our own observations as part of the program. The reef sites we visit are in fact in very good health and full of life, colour and marine creatures.
See the map below which shows the results of the coral bleaching study undertaken over the last few months in Queensland.
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While heat is very stressful for the coral, this does not have to be fatal. Coral has a chance of regenerating if the natural environment returns to normal fairly quickly. With the cooler temperatures of winter coming, stress levels have now decreased and coral has a chance to regrow.
What can you do?
If you are fishing please leave these particular species to do their job.
After coral bleaching occurs, seaweed can take over. These species of fish eat the seaweed, acting like nature’s lawnmowers, which in turn, encourages new coral larvae to settle and take hold, forming new coral colonies.
You can do something, by letting these guys take care of the lawn! Easy.
We see parrotfish especially, everywhere! next time you see one, think of what a great job it is doing for the coral reef.
Want to know more? GBRMPA has put together some FAQs and their answers…
[gdlr_button href=”http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/media-room/coral-bleaching/frequently-asked-questions” target=”_blank” size=”medium” background=”#84683c” color=”#ffffff”]Frequently Asked Questions[/gdlr_button]
Walking on the sand cay at Langford Island
School Holiday Special
A trip on Derwent Hunter is great for families. We love letting the kids have some pirate adventures on the Derwent Hunter and parents will too.
Derwent Hunter is a family friendly day out, ideal for kids of all ages with a sense of adventure. We have a great family deal of $525 for 2 adults and up to 3 children.
How we keep the kids entertained:
- Play at being Eco pirates for the day
- Receive a special Tallship Certificate at the end of the day
- Fun temporary pirate tattoos
- Kids snorkelling gear and buoyancy vests available
- Best of all, it’s not just a heck of a lot of fun, it’s also educational.
Infants under 4 are able to travel with us free of charge (subject to weather conditions as it is an outdoor day). If you have any concerns please contact us.
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“We know that when we protect our oceans
we’re protecting our future”
-Bill Clinton
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