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A DREAM COMES TRUE AT LADY MUSGRAVE ISLAND...continued |
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Perhaps the most unusual sight under the pontoon was the school of Long Tom fish. These fish get their name from the fact that they are so long and thin that they literally look like sticks, not fish. With Long Toms, the use of the word “school” is debatable. While other fish species move in unison, the Long Toms lie unmoving, aligned in random directions. The impression is of an unfinished game of “Pick Up Sticks”. Very amusing.
One snorkel on the inside of the north wall yielded up-close encounters with five separate turtles, and a big grey stingray with a tail like a cow. We kept well clear. |
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One other underwater experience is worth special mention. You can take the Spirit of 1770 from the town of 1770 out to the island for a day trip. A large floating pontoon in the lagoon, near the island, acts as a dock for the fast catamaran. The underside of the pontoon is literally jam packed with schools of huge silver fish, floating around like spectators at a footy match that hasn’t started yet. We also saw a giant cod, at least 1.5 metres long. |
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Left: signs of a good day spent in the water—gloves, hoods, socks & wetsuits protect us from jellyfish and the cold |
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Another day we took the dinghy to the island for a stroll. While getting the dinghy down, Leanne’s foot slipped and she fell down the sugar scoop, landing on top of the stainless steel swim ladder. She was lucky she wasn’t seriously injured, although the bruising on the back of her leg, from the ladder, was pretty spectacular. |
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Lowish tide is the best time to go ashore, then it is easy to walk right around the island on the sand. It doesn’t take long. In one spot, we watched a reasonable-sized Black-tipped Reef Shark chasing fish close to the shore. It was easy to see since the water was so shallow that the top third of the shark stuck up in plain view. |
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Right: the back of Leanne’s leg, just above the knee, was badly bruised when she slipped and fell on the swim ladder |
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Below: walking around the island reveals dazzling coral sand and fringing reef |