A b-reef encounter with Lady Elliot Island

Just days before I meet Jacinta Shackleton on Queensland’s Lady Elliot Island, she had spotted a blanket octopus swimming in the water here.

Large, pink and iridescent, the sea creature is extremely rare and the photos she managed to snap of it made news around the world. Even though the marine biologist has been working at Lady Elliot Island for more than four years, it seems every day brings something new.

“I’ve been lucky to go to a few different places on the reef now, but I just don’t think you can find anywhere like this,” said Ms Shackleton.

Along the length of the Great Barrier Reef – all 2300 kilometres of it – it’s not just the surprises of each day that keep things interesting.

The environment changes drastically along the coast and Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost part of the reef, is quite different to what you find somewhere like Cairns.

Sitting in a glass-bottom boat about 100 metres off the beach, I look down and notice the coral seems less colourful. I’m assured this is actually a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Unlike the soft coral up north, this is hard coral which attracts algae and provides food to sea life.

“What is the island particularly famous for?” Ms Shackleton asks the group on the boat.

I would’ve thought there are a few things it could be – turtles or birds, for instance. But someone pipes up with the answer Ms Shackleton is looking – “manta rays” – and, almost on cue, one swims into view beneath us.

Up close, you realise how large a manta ray can be, with this one about the size of a small car (apparently it weighs about the same, too). Yet it’s so graceful as it leisurely flaps its wings and glides through the water, a large shadow rippling on the surface beneath it.

Ten minutes later, I jump off the boat to snorkel across the reef. I’ve lost sight of the manta ray and am slightly relieved. Even though they’re harmless, I’m not sure I want to bump into it.

Soon I’m distracted instead by a turtle floating in the clear water, dappled in the sun shining through the surface.

Much like the ray, it appears to be in no rush to get anywhere. It slowly drifts above the coral, between frond-covered rocks, while fish dart around it. I follow it for a while before chasing a squid, then some rainbow fish. It’s one delight after another.

“The visibility here is insane,” Ms Shackleton tells me when we get back on shore. “If you came in winter, we can have days of 20- or 30-metre visibility where you can just see straight into the distance.”

It’s one of the reasons why this small coral cay – which you can walk across in five minutes – has become so popular. With its sheltered lagoon offering spectacular and easy access to the best of the Great Barrier Reef.

Lady Elliot Island has its own airstrip welcoming daily flights from nearby Hervey Bay and Bundaberg.

In my case, I’ve flown up from the Gold Coast for a day trip. It’s a glorious way for visitors to have a reef experience from southern Queensland. The scenic flights in each direction are a bonus, tracking along the coast with stunning views of Noosa Heads and Fraser Island.

For those who have more time, it’s worth staying for a few nights on Lady Elliot Island.

The eco resort has a range of accommodation, including two-bedroom units, budget cabins and glamping tents. Meals are served in the restaurant which has a large outdoor terrace. There’s a busy itinerary of events each day. Although you may prefer just to swim and relax at your own pace.

Whatever you choose to do, you won’t be able to avoid the birds, which define the island as much as the marine life.

Thousands of birds live here permanently and during the breeding season. Between September and March almost 100,000 more fly in to nest and raise their young. From the edge of the beach to the accommodation, they perch on every spot and create soundtrack to your stay.

The presence of so many birds is a welcome sight considering there were virtually none here for more than a century.

From the 1860s, Lady Elliott Island was mined for its guano and all the vegetation was stripped from the surface. It wasn’t until 1969, when limited tourism started on the island, that a revegetation program began. Even today, the plant nursery is an important part of the operations here because there’s still work to be done.

Thankfully the island’s custodians are committed to repairing the mining damage and  making tourism to the reef environmentally friendly.

Operations are almost completely run on solar power. New technology produces fresh water from air and sunlight (to supplement the current desalination plant). There are strict recycling and waste management programs.

Most visitors won’t notice any of this at first, although there are tours of the sustainability projects. You’ll see the effects of this in the abundance of marine life, the clear waters of the lagoon and the large breeding grounds of the birds.

It has helped Lady Elliot become one of the most popular destinations on the Great Barrier Reef for tourists. And manta rays too.

A day trip to Lady Elliot Island from the Gold Coast costs $904 per adult and $644 per child. The price includes hotel transfers, return flight, snorkelling gear and lunch.

Flight time is two hours and you’ll have five hours to explore the island.