Top 10 Animals
I am writing this after I have been to the Great Barrier Reef so some animals I saw there are included in this list. Sorry for any repetition in future posts! (I've included photographs of the animals where we have managed to take photographs of them on our trip).
10. Kangaroos
About them:
Kangaroos are a marsupial from the Macropodidae family meaning large foot. They are native to Australia and have powerful hind legs and large feet built for jumping. They also have a long, muscular tail for balancing. Joeys stay in their mothers pouch for up to nine months and during that time develop their hind legs. Kangaroos are the only large animal to use jumping as a form of locomotion. They have few natural predators which means that the number of kangaroos in Australia is increasing all the time.
How many I saw (approx.) : 30
Where I saw them: On Pambula Beach near Merimbula invading a campsite!
My impression:
I enjoyed seeing the kangaroos and I was amazed at how many there were. You can't come to Australia without seeing at least one kangaroo!! They weren't as cute as I expected and they looked quite dirty. Their hind legs looked incredibly powerful and put it this way you wouldn’t want them giving you a kick!!I can see why Australians think of them as pests because they just destroy vast pieces of land and totally invade places.
9. Sea Cucumbers
About them:
Sea Cucumbers are marine animals with a leathery skin. They are sedentary and lay on the sea bed. If they need to squeeze through a small gap, they can release the substance that forms their body wall and turn themselves into a kind of liquid. The sea cucumber then tightens its body wall and becomes hard again.
How many I saw (approx.): 5
Where I saw them: the sea bed of the Great Barrier Reef
My impression:
They were a bit weird and at first they looked like someone had dropped a sock to the bottom of the ocean!! They had some spikes on their body which made them look less like a cucumber but other than that they could have been for all I knew!
Cuteness Rating: 0
About them:
Seals are formally called Pinnipeds and are semi-aquatic mammals. They use their more developed rear flippers to swim but are very clumsy on land, using their front flippers to waddle about! They have both blubber and a waterproof fur coat to keep them warm in cold conditions on land and in the sea. When diving, seals close their nostrils and the blood circulation stops to most of its organs. In this way, seals are able to hold their breath for up to 2 hours by conserving oxygen.
How many I saw (approx.): 3
Where I saw them: On the Jervis Bay whale watching trip
My impression:
I loved seeing the seals frolicking in the water even though we only really saw their heads. They were a brown colour which surprised me - I expected them to be grey. They were really cute and soon shot off when they saw the boat!
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| Spot the seal - Dad took this photo of the seals in Jervis Bay but wasn't quick enough to get the seal's head! |
7. Parrot Fish
About them:
Parrot Fish live mainly in the Tropics and in coral areas such as the Great Barrier Reef. They take bites out of the coral and excrete it as sand. This creates some small sand islands and beaches like in the Caribbean. One Parrotfish can produce up to 90 kg of sand in one year. Their teeth are on the outside edge of their jaw bone creating a parrot like beak, giving the fish its name.
How many I saw (approx.): 20
Where I saw them: The Great Barrier Reef
My impression:
The Parrot fish were one of my favourite things that I saw at the reef as they were so colourful. I even saw one bite some coral! I couldn’t believe that some beaches are made out of fish poo! They were bigger than I anticipated being a maximum of 50cm long. One group of Parrotfish came really close to me and swam right underneath me!
About them:
The koala is found mostly on the Eastern and Southern coastal regions of Australia. A koala is not a bear but English settlers from the 18th century called them koala bears because of their similar appearance to bears. A koala is similar in appearance to a wombat (its longest living relative) but has a thicker coat, longer limbs and much larger ears. They have sharp claws to help them climb trees easily. Their weight varies from around 14 kg for a male to 5 kg for a female.
How many I saw (approx.): 4
Where I saw them: Raymond Island near Paynesville
My impression:
I loved seeing the koalas in the wild. They were mostly just sat in the trees with a vacant look on their face. They were almost all curled up asleep because only 5 hours on average per day are active for a koala. Their ears were really fluffy and it made me really want to cuddle one!
5. Dugongs and Platypus
About them:
Dugongs:
Dugongs are vegetarians and only eat sea grass. This limits them to living in coastal, shallow areas where sea grass grows. They live mostly in northern Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay. Dugong's tails are very similar to that of dolphins but they don’t have dorsal fins. Instead, they use some paddle like forelimbs to manoeuvre.
Platypus:
The platypus is a semi-aquatic marine mammal that doesn’t give birth to live young but instead lays eggs. Platypus are venomous (I didn't know this!) Platypus have a waterproof fur that feels like that of a mole. Weight varies from 0.7kg to 2.4kg with males being larger than females. Males are around 50cm long at most. Platypus sleep for as long as 14 hours per day.
How many I saw (approx.): 2 Dugongs and 1 Platypus
Where I saw them: Sydney Aquarium
My impression:
Dugongs:
They were really cool and absolutely massive. I was searching for videos on youtube when I came back from the aquarium! The dugongs and platypus were one of the highlights of the Sydney visit for me!
Platypus:
They were smaller than I thought but were a lot cuter. Their tail is the same size and shape as their beak which gives them an odd but cool look. I have always wanted to see a platypus and now I have! Mum and I stood and watched the platypus for half an hour and could have done so all day.
Cuteness Rating:
Platypus: ***
4. Whales and Dolphins
About them:
Humpback Whales:
The Humpback Whale usually weighs around 36000 kg (79000 lb.) They migrate up to 25000 km per year to have their calf in warmer waters. They then fatten up their calf on the journey back to the colder water. If their calf does not have enough blubber and fat then it will freeze and die in the cold water. Their diet consists of mainly krill and small fish.
Dolphins:
Dolphins are carnivores and feed mainly on fish and squid. They are amongst some of the most intelligent animals and are very playful and are curious of Humans. Their body is incredibly streamlined designed for fast swimming. Their tail is used for propulsion while the pectoral fins are used for direction.
How many I saw (approx.): 15 whales and 40 dolphins
Where I saw them: On the Jervis Bay Whale Watching Cruise and on our Great Barrier Reef trip
My impression:
Humpback Whales:
They are massive - so massive that you can't actually comprehend it until you see them for yourself. They seemed quite shy as they kept a fair distance from the boat. The whales were graceful and majestic, it was amazing to see their tails crashing into the water.
Dolphins:
The dolphins came amazingly close to the boat and seemed incredibly playful. They jumped out of the water frequently, as if they were trying to work out what we were. They were chasing the boat for about 10 mins which was brilliant to watch, it made me realise how fast they could swim.
Whales: **
Dolphins: ***
3. Reef Sharks and Maori Wrasse
About them:
Reef Sharks:
Reef Sharks are found near coral reefs in shallow waters. They are social rather than territorial and can be found in groups of up to 20. They are usually around 1.9m long. They have a broad snout and large eyes which is a typical of reef sharks. Aggressive behaviour usually consists of a hunched back and swimming vigorously from side to side.
Maori Wrasse:
Maori Wrasse live in coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. Males can reach up to 2m long. They are an electric blue or bright green colour. They are easily recognisable by the hump on their head and their big lips. Maori Wrasse are known to live for about 30 years.
How many I saw (approx.): 3 Reef Sharks and 4 Maori Wrasse
Where I saw them: Great Barrier Reef
My impression:
Reef Sharks:
At first I was quite scared when I saw a reef shark but then I realised that it had no interest in me. I then saw it as graceful as it swam along 1m beneath me. I got used to them as I spotted two other sharks coming towards me. I couldn’t believe that I was actually swimming with sharks!
Maori Wrasse:
When I saw pictures online of Maori Wrasse I didn’t want to encounter them. Then one came really close to me and swam alongside me. I wasn’t scared at all. They were amazing and larger than I thought. Their hump on their head and their lips gave them a really funny look!
Cuteness Rating:
Maori Wrasse: *
2. Fairy (Little) Penguins
About them:
They grow to around 30cm so are the smallest penguins in the world. When swimming, they use the flippers for propulsion and feet for direction. Fairy Penguins are one of the fastest animals in the sea over short distances. They eat squid, fish and most small sea creatures. To feed, they can divedown to 20m and stay submerged for 60secs.
How many I saw (approx.): 500
Where I saw them: Phillip Island Penguin Parade and on the Jervis Bay Whale Watching Cruise.
My impression:
The Penguin Parade was one of the highlights of the holiday for me. Partly because the penguins were in the wild and also because they were REALLY cute (they did smell of fish though!) They were so short and plump that they waddled in a funny way! It was unfortunate that I couldn’t take photos!Cuteness Rating: *****
1. Sea Turtles (Hawksbill and Green Turtles)
About them:
Sea turtles breath in air but in an emergency, they can stay submerged for long periods of time. A lifetime of 80 years for sea turtles is possible. Female turtles return to land to bury their eggs in the sand to hatch. The temperature of the sand affects the sex of the baby turtles. A higher sand temperature results in female turtles and a lower sand temperature results in male turtles.
How many I saw (approx.): 3
Where I saw them: The Great Barrier Reef
My impression:
Seeing turtles in the wild was absolutely without a doubt one of the highlights of the holiday for me. A large green turtle came incredibly close to me whilst snorkelling. It came so close that I could have touched it. I was just amazed at how graceful and peaceful they seemed. They seemed to just glide through the water in a really majestic way.
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