Rainbow Beach

            Rainbow Beach is definitely a place you need to visit if you ever make it over to Australia. It is 23 kilometres of beach that you can explore by foot or by 4WD. The ocean allows for excellent swimming, surfing, boating, sailing, skiing, snorkeling, fishing, and more!

Rainbow Beach (this was taken from Google as my picture wouldn't load- don't worry I'm not that good of a photographer!)

            Some of the fish that you can find in the waters of Rainbow Beach are Snapper, Sweet lip, Red Emperor, Parrot, Pearl Perch, Amber jack, and Mackerel. All of which are pretty popular here.

            Just off Rainbow Beach is world heritage site, Fraser Island. This island is teeming with wildlife, especially the Australian native Dingo! These beautiful creatures may look just like dogs but you must always remember to keep your distance and observe from afar as they are wild and used to roaming their environment without intruders. This wild dog was probably introduced to Australia by Asian seafarers about 4,000 years ago. It is a placental mammal which means it gives birth to live young, feeds its young via mammary glands that produce milk and has fur or hair of some form (just like us humans!). The color of a Dingo’s coat is largely determined by where it lives. The ‘standard’ coat color is ginger with white feet. However, in the desert areas, the fur is more golden yellow while in forested areas the fur can be darker tan to almost black. The body fur is short while the tail is quite bushy. The Dingo is Australia’s largest mammal carnivore. Their canine teeth are longer than those of the domestic dog, and their muzzle is also longer and tapered. At one point there was a movement to remove them from farming areas so as a result, Dingoes are mostly absent from many parts of New South Wales, Victoria, the south-eastern third of South Australia and from the southern-most tip of Western Australia. They are regarded as common throughout the remainder of Australia except in the arid eastern half of Western Australia, nearby parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory. Dingoes have been instrumental in keeping down the populations of rabbits, feral pigs and other farming pests. However, they are also a threat to the domestic animals they hunt. The main threat to the Dingo population comes from their contact with the domestic dog. The push of urban settlement from coastal areas and into outback Australia allows for increased interbreeding between the two which may lead to the ultimate extinction of them altogether. The Dingo has been listed as vulnerable by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).

Australian Dingo

Another popular wildlife sighting at Fraser Island is the Kingfisher bird. These beautiful birds have colorful feathers that make them stand out. They live all over Australia, but predominantly in coastal regions. Kingfishers nest in tree hollows, in burrows, in riverbanks, and in termite nests. They feed on small animals, including fish, frogs, yabbies, insects, snakes, and nestlings of other birds. Their beautiful colors consist of green, blue, turquoise and orange. They were once in danger of being hunted to extinction for their feathers. Australia has ten native species of Kingfishers which can be divided into three groups. The Forest Kingfishers are the Sacred Kingfisher, Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Red Backed Kingfisher, and Yellow Billed Kingfisher. The River Kingfishers are the Little Kingfisher and the Azure Kingfisher. Lastly are the Kookaburras which consist of Laughing Kookaburra and the Blue Winged Kookaburra.

Azure Kingfisher

Blue Winged Kookaburra

Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfisher

Collared Kingfisher

Forest Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

Little Kingfisher

Red Backed Kingfisher

Sacred Kingfisher

Yellow Billed Kingfisher

            Another popular activity at Rainbow Beach is whale watching due to the whales migrating into the area between May and October. There are also Australian Humpback Dolphins in Tin Can Bay, just a short ride from Rainbow Beach. They get their name from the elongated dorsal fin and humped back appearance which arises from the accumulation of fatty tissue on their backs as they age. They also differ from other dolphin species in relation to their mounded forehead and long beaks. These dolphins inhabit the tropical waters of the west and east coasts and are classifies as rare and are decreasing to a near threatened population by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Living close to coasts and rivers, the Australian Humpback dolphin is especially susceptible to pollution as well as shark and fishing nets. Other threats include overfishing of their habitat, noise pollution affecting their sonar location, marine activities, harassment, and coastal development. When their environment is damaged they have nowhere else to go. A cool fact about dolphins is that they sleep unilaterally, meaning that half their brain is always awake so that they can manage their breathing while sleeping. I went kayaking in Rainbow Beach and saw these dolphins up-close and personal and got to learn all about them from the workers I went with! Pictures from my adventure are below- what a breathtaking sunset! Once again I wish the videos would post because I had an amazing video of dolphins and the turtle right next to us.

Australian Humpback Dolphin

Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat

My next adventure took me up north to Port Douglas to the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat. Here I had a private tour with one of the keepers there who informed me all about the wildlife they have there and environmental policies set in place to protect them.

In Australia there are state laws as well as federal laws to help protect the wildlife and environment. The state laws differ from state to state, but everyone has to follow the federal laws as they can be shut down if they do not. Wildlife habitats and zoos have to have permission and permits to transfer between states, but transferring within the state is allowed. There are also specific animal welfare, health, and exhibition rules they must follow. The rules differ from animal to animal.

First animal I learned about is the Gouldian Finch. This bird is endemic (native) to Australia and endangered. There are only about 2,500 left. Their primary threat is the constant hot dry weather that leads to wildfires and destroys their habitat.

Gouldian Finch

The next endangered animal I learned about is a small marsupial the Northern Bettong. It is now restricted to Queensland, Australia. The Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat has a breeding program for this species. This means that scientists look at the genetics of the captive ones and they can determine the best combinations of mates to breed with. This animal plays an important role in the health of its complex forest community (they disperse many seeds).

Northern Bettong

Next is the Mahogany Glider. It is an endangered gliding possum native to a small region of coastal Queensland, Australia. It resembles the sugar glider but is noticeably larger and has a longer tail.

Mahogany Glider

The Black Necked Stork is a popular animal at this habitat. It is not endangered. What makes the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat unique regarding this species, is that it is the only breeding site in the world. You can tell the females and males apart as the males have black eyes and females have yellow ones. These storks have no voice box, so they communicate by flapping their wings and clicking their beaks.

Black Necked Stork

Another unique animal the habitat has is the Spectacled Flying Fox. The largest population of this species is in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the Spectacled Fruit Bat. They are considered a threatened species due to their habitat being destroyed by humans looking to build homes.

Spectacled Flying Fox

The next is probably one of the most well known Australian wildlife; The Koala! The Koalas here in northern Australia are smaller, with lighter colored fur, and have a thinner coat. This is all due to the temperatures being hotter up here. Their habitat includes the eucalyptus woodlands. These areas are being destroyed by housing construction, so now they have the have the opposite problem as most of the wildlife previously mentioned, they are becoming overcrowded! They all have to fit into whatever eucalyptus woodlands that are left and this increases the spreading of diseases which is not good. People in Queensland can help stop this by not building their houses in their land, and by not letting their dogs and cats out at night as they prey on koalas.

Koala

In some places in Australia, the Red Tailed Cockatoo is endangered. This species is also native to Australia.

Red Tailed Cockatoo

Another endemic species to Australia is Boyd's Forest Dragon. They are a rainforest species that can avoid prey by matching their body temperature to whatever they are sitting on. This lizard is mainly found in the Wet Tropics region of Queensland, Australia. Australia has two rainforest dragons, and Boyd's is the larger of the two. It's tail is twice the length of it's body!

Boyd's Forest Dragon

Up next is another iconic animal for Australia; the Cassowaries! They are endangered due to habitat destruction by houses and farms, pigs and dogs hunting them, and getting hit by cars. They are known as a keystone species, meaning that if they went extinct there would be huge repercussions as they are vital since they disperse seeds.

Cassowary

The Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat has a few White Lipped Green Tree Frogs which are popular in Australia. There is another species called the Cane Toad which competes with the tree frogs. The Cane Toads were brought to the US in order to eat the Cane Beetles off the crops, however, they did not do a good job as the beetles would just go to the top of the crop where it is too high for the frogs to be able to jump. The green tree frog tries to eat the cane toads, but the cane toads have poisonous glands on them which lead to the green tree frog's death.

White Lipped Green Tree Frog

Cane Toad

Another endemic Australian animal is the Lesser Sooty. This species is not endangered but a cool fact about them is they let out a screech that sounds like a bomb dropping from the sky.

Lesser Sooty

The Northern Nailtail Wallaby is another well known Australian mammal. They are not endangered but they sure are adorable! They are found in the woodlands and grasslands of tropical north Australia.

Northern Nailtail Wallaby

Me feeding two of the Northern Nailtail Wallabies at the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat

An up close of the wallaby I was feeling; he was clutching my hand so tight!

Up next are the Saltwater Crocodiles. They have been around for over 250 million years! They used to be close to extinction, but have made a roaring comeback. They are a very hot topic right now because of how aggressive they can be in certain situations. Everyone thinks they are killing machines; that is true to a degree. If you nag them on then yes they will do something, however, usually if you leave them alone they won't bother with you. Contrary to popular belief, in northern Australia there is only around 1 death every 3 years. The Australian government targets problem crocodiles and relocates them if needed. The problem with this is that these reptiles are very territorial and can often travel back to their original location. An interesting fact is that in the northern Australian territories you can actually obtain a permit and go out and remove eggs from the wild.

Saltwater Crocodile

Now for the most popular Australian mammal... the Kangaroo! These marsupials are so overpopulated that it is legal to hunt them (sadly). Apparently their meat tastes pretty good. Kangaroos can do something called embryonic diapause. This means that they can literally pause the embryonic development and get pregnant again. They can have up to three embryos at a time!

Kangaroo

The Kangaroos at this Wildlife Habitat love getting their necks scratched!

It's not everyday you get to take a picture with a Kangaroo!

A relative to the Kangaroo is the Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo. They are not endangered. Something unique about this species is that they are neither nocturnal nor diurnal, they are cathemeral, meaning they are active whenever they want to be. Three-Kangaroos differ from normal Kangaroos in many ways. They have longer tails which they use for balance, short wide feet, cushioned non-slip soles to provide a more secure foothold when climbing, specially adapted ankle joint that allows greater rotation of the foot, legs that can move independently- can walk and hop- unlike ground dwelling kangaroos, strong shoulders and forearms for climbing, and small rounded ears that make pushing through leaves and branches easier. Indigenous people call these kangaroos "Boundary", "Mabi" or "Muppie".

Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo

Lastly is the Spotted-tailed Quoll. They are the largest carnivorous marsupials on mainland Australia. They are a relative of the Tasmanian Devil. This species, just like the White Lipped Green Tree Frog, is hugely effected by the introduction of the poisonous cane toad. This marsupial lives in wet and dry eucalyptus forest, woodland and heathland. They are engendered expect in Tasmania where they are vulnerable. Some of the reasons for their endangered status is habitat loss, competition and predation by introduced carnivores (cats), road mortality, poisoning by cane toads, and climate change. They only occur in six small disjunct populations in tropical North Queensland.

Spotted-tailed Quoll

The wildlife across all of Australia differs between regions with some overlap. These are only some of the wildlife that exists in this magnificent country. Some things we can do to help protect these creatures is stop building homes in the forest areas that are home to many endangered species. We can also not let out our cats and dogs at night as they tend to prey on certain wildlife. One of the biggest things we can do is stay informed about the endangered species in our area. We can make our homes wildlife friendly by securing garbage in cans with lockable lids to avoid wildlife getting into it. We should also limit our use of herbicides and pesticides because yes they may make our yard look beautiful, but they are hazardous pollutants that effect wildlife at many levels. We can also recycle certain objects and never buy products made from endangered species. And lastly, be careful when driving where endangered species were displaced from the now developed areas.

This wraps up my wildlife experiences in Cairns, Australia. Pretty soon I will be heading down to Rainbow Beach, Australia- a 26 hour bus ride!! Wish me luck!

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is as fragile as it is beautiful. Stretching more than 2000km along the Queensland coastline, it’s a complex ecosystem populated with dazzling coral, friendly sea turtles, gliding rays, timid reef sharks and tropical fish of every size and color. Whether you dive down to it, snorkel over it or explore it via a scenic flight, this vivid undersea kingdom is unforgettable. However, no matter how great it is, there is no denying that it has deteriorated over the years. One of the main issues is coral bleaching. In 1998, a huge underwater heat wave killed 16% of the corals on reefs around the world. Triggered by the El Niño of that year, it was declared the first major global coral bleaching event. The second global bleaching event that struck was triggered by the El Niño of 2010. The US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the third global bleaching event in October 2015 and it has already become the longest event recorded, impacting some reefs in consecutive years, as it is still going on today. This is all due to global warming, because the ocean absorbs a majority of climate change heat. The coral is unable to handle these high temperatures, and therefore they kick out their outer layer that has not turned toxic. This however leaves them vulnerable, hence allowing coral bleaching to occur. Sometimes the coral can rejuvenate once the water cools down, but this is not always the case. Certain species of coral are more easily effected than others, some are strong and can resist it while others are weak and cannot.

            The reefs are a small proportion of the world’s ocean floor, yet they support a lot of marine species. They are an integral part in the survival of the very important oceanic ecosystems. This is why we need to pay a lot of attention to this issue and work hard at reversing and preventing it. There are a few things everyday people can do to help. When going into the ocean, mainly in areas with coral, one should not jump in with sunscreen on, as it is a form of pollution to the coral. If you are swimming near such areas, please wear wetsuits to protect your skin rather than sunscreen. The sunscreen’s ingredients destroy the coral over time. We can also protect marine life by not using plastic bags. If they get into the ocean sea turtles think they are jellyfish and eat them. It then gets stuck in their digestive tract and can lead to death. Lastly you can work on not littering as much and being conscientious of your trash. This will help keep the ocean clean and less polluted.

            The Australian government is helping in a number of ways. They institute a no touch policy, meaning while you are diving or snorkeling you are not allowed to touch any of the coral or marine life unless they come up and touch you (gently or in an educational manner). They also allow certified scientists to go down and remove things that harm the coral. Two examples of these are the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish and the Drupella snail. These prey on coral and destroy it. The COTS eat a lot of the coral and do so very quickly. There are not many around Flynn Reef where I went scuba diving, but they pose as a very big threat to the coral. They usually come in plagues every couple of years. The Drupella snail, however, are very plentiful yet they do not pose much of a threat as they are never going to destroy the reef by themselves. The marine biologist on my trip found hundreds the snails on his dives that day (picture attached in next post- they look like seashells). The Australian government created a $142.5 million National Environmental Science Programme for Reef research. They also designate certain marine reserve areas, which increase populations of endangered fish species, improve coral health and protect biodiversity. This however cannot prevent reef degradation from larger-scale issues such as cyclones, coral-bleaching events, and decreasing water quality.

            Now on the lighter side of things, here is my experience of scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Only one word can explain it… AMAZING. It was everything I imagined and then some. It was a little scary in the beginning when I first jumped in and had to get used to breathing with an air tank with a mouthpiece and not being able to breath through your nose. But once I tried it for about 20 seconds I was fine and ready to get the show on the road. It was breathtaking seeing all the different kinds of coral and fish up close. We even encountered a very friendly sea turtle! I wish I could attach a video to this because I was filming when we found the turtle and he stayed with us for five minutes and got very up close and personal! Not only did I get to go scuba diving for the very first time, but I also got to go off snorkeling and exploring the Reef on my own. That feeling of freedom in something that is so huge is beyond words. I can now officially knock that off my bucket list! I have to thank the crew at Silverswift for being so helpful in answering my research questions and showing me different unique wildlife and places to snorkel while on the trip. Attached in the next post is a picture of me with two of the guys who helped me the most! What a way to start off my Magellan research. Onto the next!

For picture proof that coral bleaching is real please go to this website and view the photos, it is well worth your time to witness the severity of coral bleaching: http://www.globalcoralbleaching.org

Unfortunately videos will not download
(p.s. still no luggage!)

Some of the Drupella Snails one of the divers found

Two of the crew who helped me with my research!