Turtle-riffic Thursday

What a beautiful week of swimming it’s been! From Numb rays in the rain to turtle sightings everywhere!

Like many of you my week started off with the Cole Classic on Sunday. While I swam the 5km, the Mini Mermaids had their debut into Ocean Swimming with the 1km. So proud of these girls and thankful for the Bold and Beautiful – the badges and commraderie have really motivated them and improved their ability!

before

after

The visibility was good today, with Numb ray sightings (photo from rainy Tuesday – It seems I only see them when it rains).

Eagle rays about

a crested horn (rare to see this time of year)

The very rare, one of a kind Petrafish

and the turtle.   I have two turtle stories for the week, both involved our beautiful community of swimmers.  My 11 year old has been swimming before school (she has to get those 50 swims in!) with me and a mate of hers. They LOVE TURTLES (they’ve organsied a few bake sales for the Seabird rescue to help the turtles). We knew people had seen the turtle earlier in the week, but we finished our swim at  Bower and had gotten out without seeing it. Then we saw some swimmers diving down, could it be a turtle?  Petra ran to the corner of the pool and called out the swimmers, was it a turtle? IT WAS! The two girls and I got our caps and goggles back on and got there in time to see it. Thank you Edwina and other swimmers! You made our daughter’s days!

Today, as I was swimming from Bower to Manly these ladies called out to me and showed me where the turtle was hiding!

I patiently waited, knowing the turtle would swim at any minute, and after 10 min it did! As it started to come out of the seaweed I turned on my camera and…NO BATTERIES!

It was a beautiful moment that you’ll have to visualise on your own! I watched it swim, take a breath, swim some more and take another breath.  I do love the turtles and have learned my lesson re: a fully charged camera!

Hope you have a great week and get some time to swim!

Alana

Swimmer of the Month

The  Budgy Smuggler Random Swimmer of the Month for January is … Matthew Smeal. Matthew will receive a voucher for a pair of Budgies from the Budgy Smuggler shop. All you have to do to be in the running for this month is log your swims. The more swims you do the more chances you will have to win the prize.