Belated Happy Easter from Heron Island. We woke to find a net of mini eggs had been left outside our door. The staff had set up an Easter Egg hunt and children were rushing around the island looking for cardboard eggs which they later exchanged for real ones.

Meanwhile, David and I set off for another walk round the island to take a closer look at the birds. The Black Noddy Terns are everywhere, making their messy nests in the Pisonia Grandis Trees. Sadly, many get caught up in the tree’s stick seed pods and eventually die. It is tempting to rescue them but there are signs around the island warning us to leave them alone. Their bodies provide the nutrients to allow the seeds to germinate.

After lunch I tried to snorkel off the beach but the tide was quite low and the water wasn’t more than a couple of foot deep. Despite this, visibility was quite good and I could see a number of small sea creatures such as sea cucumbers and starfish.

We went down to the harbour where the boats depart. Here the water was deeper.  We were only in about three foot of water when a huge shark (about five foot long) swam right under David and straight past me. Spooky! Later, I consulted a leaflet on fish which I picked up at the Marine Centre and identified it as a Blacktip Reef Shark. Despite the fact that we’ve been assured that the sharks are harmless as long as you leave them alone, it is quite unnerving having them around.

After our shark encounter, we moved to the other side of the slipway and spotted a number of Stingrays, including the Cowtail Stingray and the Pink Whipray. They bury themselves in the sand. Sometimes all you can see is their tail. Remembering that the Australian TV wildlife star The Crickey Man was killed by a Stingray, we kept well clear.

After snorkelling, we walked along the jetty and took a look at the shipwreck which sits on the reef. It’s an impressive sight. Apparently, it was deliberately sunk to act as a breakwater for small boats visiting the island. The name of the boat is the HMCS Protector and she has an illustrious history. She was the first official naval vessel in Australian history, seeing active service and serving in three wars between 1884 and 1945. How are the mighty fallen! Whilst we were looking at her, we spotted a large turtle circling about.

In the evening after the inevitable trip to the bar and the all-you-can-eat buffet, we headed down to the beach to see if we could see any baby turtles hatching out of their eggs. The moon was full, which allowed us to see clearly without the need for torches. This was good as artificial light can disorientate the turtles and send them in the wrong direction. Within moments, we spotted a newly hatched turtle of about four inches long bravely making his way down to the sea. Once we’d seen one turtle, we spotted another, and another and another until we’d seen a good half a dozen, all launching themselves determinedly into the waves. I found it a moving sight, and an apt way to celebrate Easter Day. Move over Easter Chicks, and make way for Easter Turtles!