Turtle!

The ospreys in the previous post were within the Thala Beach Lodge down the road from where we were staying. Jeanette and Alan took us down there and then while they had an expensive 5* eco friendly lunch, we took our 5* home-made (by me!) sandwiches down to the beach. We then wandered to the bird hide to see the ospreys (see previous post) and on to Turtle Lookout. We weren't sure if it was named this because you could actually see turtles, because the rock was turtle-shaped, or for some other obscure reason, but we had a good look...sans binoculars again! (the sign that said, "please grab some binoculars from reception" failed to mention the $300 deposit necessary! $300!)

Just when I was thinking that it must just be a name, a rock I was watching moved. Not only did it move but it raised its head out of the water! Becky thought she saw a flipper and after much umming and ahhing I was convinced that we were watching turtles. Becky took a bit more persuading, but we did agree in the end that they must be turtles!

We walked down to the beach and I decided to go for a very hot, very rocky, very quick (it was nearly time to get back to J&A) clambour round to where I thought the turtles would be. I went a little too far I think, and was only rewarded with a little head popping up once, but nevermind, at least I have now seen turtles in the wild. They were browner than I was expecting!

I don't have any pictures for you as they were too far away. But I do have a rather groovy pic of a t-shirt belonging to Chris (in Brisbane). I'm hoping to see a cuttle fish tomorrow though I think it's unlikely. Even if they are there, they are the masters of disguise-they can change colour at will, they can even blow out ink and make themselves look like the ink blob so that a predator attacks the blob discovering it is not edible and then assumes the cuttle fish (now looking like the blob) is the same thing! Sorry, I got a bit over excited there...if I lived in Australia I could probably join a cuttlefish appreciation society...I jest not -tell them Chris!