Wednesday, May 31, 2017

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




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