{"id":1014,"date":"2018-11-04T11:14:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T11:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2019-04-27T16:20:31","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T15:20:31","slug":"meeting-the-turtles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/2018\/11\/04\/meeting-the-turtles\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting the turtles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T140220GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On our last day here on the reef, we were lucky enough to have a clear calm snorkel.<!--more--><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T120645GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T121056GMT1000-1536x1523.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1523\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of my favourite fish is this one who looks like the inspiration for 1970s fashion<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T123422GMT1000-1462x1536.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1462\" height=\"1536\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>and then a quick trip round to the next cove to see the green turtles chomping on sea grass in the shallows.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T131115GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T140401GMT1000-1536x1153.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1153\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We missed them yesterday when it was windy so we were particularly glad to see about 7 or 8 today. Sorry about the quantitiy of photos!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T134109GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T133415GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T132738GMT1000-1536x1063.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1063\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T131600GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Most of them have sucker fish (long green things) attached to them &#8211; they eat the turtles dung and clean parasites off them, they also eat what comes off the bottom as the turtles graze.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T132813GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>However these fish clamp onto the turtle with their large oval sucker plate and can get quite fat &#8211; so basically the turtle has to pull them along as well which, if you have 3 of them, must sap their energy.<\/p>\n<p>Some turtles had none and looked just as clean. Others tried to wipe them off with their flippers &#8211; this seemed quite ineffective.<\/p>\n<p>The turtles tolerated us swimming very close and just carried on eating and coming up for air.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T134246GMT1000-1152x1536.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1152\" height=\"1536\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>They are wonderful animals.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T134905GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T134121GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T134208GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>David also spotted a flounder:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/4\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181104T132405GMT1000-1536x1153.jpg\" alt=\"11\/4\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1153\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We have seen the very big lizards Cook saw when he named the island but I didn\u2019t get a photo. Instead you can admire these amazing trees whose beautiful seed-pods remind me of medieval costume!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/1\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181101T132026GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/1\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We also reattached a sunbird nest with dental floss as it had been blown down in the wind &#8211; a flimsy but ingenious creation:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T165416GMT1000-1152x1536.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1152\" height=\"1536\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On a little plane back to Cairns &amp; we are off to Uluru tomorrow!!<\/p>\n<p>Here a few photos from the day before.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-post-thumbnail\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T131143GMT1000-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T140216GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T174044GMT1000-1152x1536.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1152\" height=\"1536\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T174314GMT1000-1536x1151.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1151\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T175406GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The last one is Eleanor cleaning shells while we wait for our boat to refloat!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large\" title=\"11\/3\/18\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIRU-WP-20181103T152226GMT1000-1536x1152.jpg\" alt=\"11\/3\/18\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1152\" data-json=\"\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On our last day here on the reef, we were lucky enough to have a clear calm snorkel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1014"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1051,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions\/1051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.holloway.me.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}