From Lady Elliot’s web page:
Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay located at the southern tip of the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef.
Situated within a highly protected ‘Green Zone’ the coral cay is a sanctuary for over 1,200 species of marine life and is known for its abundance of manta rays, turtles, amazing array of spectacular marine life and unspoilt coral reef.
We flew in a very small plane, and somehow we got seated right behind the pilots. But I survived.
When we arrived, we got our briefing about the island – where to snorkel, what equipment we could rent. The were very insistent on reef shoes, since there were two dangerous creatures who were on the ocean floor: stonefish, whose sting was so painful we could end up in the hospital and/or die, and cone snails, which would also kill you painfully.
We first went snorkeling in the Lagoon, since the guide told us it was going to close for the week at noon. I could see why – there was very little clearance between the coral to swim, and the tide was going out. I only managed about 20 minutes – Sheila was in for a little more time.
After lunch, we made our way to the other side of the island (Coral Gardens). Lady Elliot had a system – you walk out (with your reef shoes!) to a point and leave your shoes, and put on your flippers. Then swim out to a line that is fixed to a series of buoys. We swam along the line – amazing fish! We saw some sea turtle dining on the coral – we floated above them just watching. A little further we saw a shark – don’t remember what kind. And a row of little squid passed up, swimming in a line.
After that we headed back to our cabin to relax.
Before dinner, we watched the sunset at the lighthouse.
The next day we signed up for the bird walk in the morning. This was not the birding season – the guide said during that time all the Nonnys with chicks cry all night – which sounds like a crying baby. (That was why our rooms came with ear plugs. Fortunately, we didn’t need them.)
In the (open) cafeteria, we saw Buffbanded rail and Capricorn silvereye. There were one or two nesting tropicbirds under some bushes. Not a Nonny to be found for the bird walk, although we had seen what seemed like millions the day before.
Later in the day there was a fish feeding activity.
We went out a little past the spot where we had been the day before on a glass-bottomed boat and snorkeled for about 45 minutes. This time, we saw a huge school of glass fish swimming in sync.
The last day we signed up for a “Snorkel Safari”, which went out further from the island over sand, rather than coral, looking for mantas and other rays and sharks. Unfortunately we didn’t see any rays, and caught just a glimpse of a white-tipped shark. But still saw lots of colorful fish.
After that, one more trip along the line, then we went back and returned our equipment.
Showered, took a walk around the island.
And then it was time to go. The plane was full, so Sheila rode in the co-pilot seat.
