We are the Closest access to the Reef!

Posted on May 25, 2018May 25, 2018 by Katrina

Lady Musgrave Island – Gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

1770reef provides you with the closest access to Lady Musgrave Island being just a short boat trip out fro the Town of 1770 to Lady Musgrave Island, Reef and Lagoon. The Town of 1770/Agnes Water is only 5 hours from the city of Brisbane and only 1.5 hours from city of Bundaberg, by car.

You can drive yourself, catch a Greyhound Bus, get the Tilt Train or get an Executive Limousine service direct from Bundaberg, return. So easy to get here and so much to enjoy with 1770reef visiting the “jewel” in the reef – Lady Musgrave Island.

What to expect on your tour

We travel 65 kilometres across open oceans to access the wonders of the reef, right on our doorstep. All activities are provided for your day – a wonderfully informative guided island walk with our experienced guide who tends to spend most of the year either working on the reef/island with 1770reef or assisting with Qld Parks and Wildlife vegetation regeneration projects on the island. Let Marcus share his extensive knowledge about the island, the birds and the marine life that surround these shores.

Then, onto the glass bottom boat with your guide for a great coral viewing tour. With 6 metres of large glass panels on the bottom, it allows all our guests to enjoy “life under the sea” without getting your feet wet. Meandering through the coral bommies pointing out the different coral formations, finding Nemos’ and spotting turtles as we go.

On your return to our vessel to enjoy a fresh tropical buffet lunch before getting your swimmers on for your snorkelling activity. After your important snorkel safety briefing by the crew, get your snorkel gear (crew will assist with sizing if required) and away you go to enjoy the pristine waters of the lagoon within our large snorkel zone. Resting stations are provided throughout the zone, in case of fatigue during your snorkel time as it can be a tiring exercise for those of us not used to it. Open your eyes to the beauty below the water and let us know what you spot- turtles, garfish, cods, parrot fish, clown fish to name a few.

Advice before travel

As you are travelling across open marine waters to reach this magnificent destination, 1770reef also recommend that you consider motion sickness medication. This is best pre purchased before your arrival in town. Also some thongs or covered shoes that can get wet as the island is a coral Island and quiet hard on your feet.

So need help to organise a great holiday or just a quick weekend away, call us – 1770reef – and we can offer you our reef trip, other local activities in town and accommodation packages.

Call us today 0749 727222 or email tours@1770reef.com.au or look at our website www.1770reef.com.au

Meet the Majestic Manta Ray’s at Lady Musgrave Island

Posted on March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 by Katrina

Manta Ray’s at Lady Musgrave Island with 1770reef

The gracefulness of the Manta Ray is truly a thing of beauty. They are a giant of the ocean and can reach a disc size of up to 7metres, averaging around 4.5 metres.

Coming in at Number #2 on the Great 8 of our Great Barrier Reef’s living icons is the Manta Ray and you may have to chance to get up close and personal while snorkelling the pristine waters of Lady Musgrave Lagoon.

Did you know?

The Manta Ray has the largest brain to body size ration of any living fish which makes them quite inquisitive around snorkellers and divers, coming up to “inspect” what you are up to.

How fast can they go?

The flapping in Mantas can generate incredible amount of propulsion. A 4.5 metre Manta can travel at around 14 kilometres per hour with bursts of up to 35 kilometres per hour.

You can name one as well.

If you get a chance to swim with the Manta take a photo of its underbelly. No two Mantas have the same markings. If it is identified as a “new” sighting, you can name it yourself!

The Love Train

During breeding times up to 30 males may follow only one (1) female as she leads them in a merry dance resembling something like the old Conga Line dance. She will then choose one of the males as a partner. Once she falls pregnant, the male departs and has no part in any parenting.

What a big mouth you have?

The Manta has a very large, forward facing mouth. This allows them to migrate across the open seas and filter feed large quantities of plankton which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim along.

Let 1770reef help you tick the famous MANTA RAY # 2 on the Great Barrier Reef Great 8 off your bucket list!!!

+617 4972 7222 tours@1770reef.com.au www.1770reef.com.au

Giant Clam

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Katrina

Giant Clams at Lady Musgrave Island Lagoon

It’s The Great 8!

The Giant Clam is found at our very own Lady Musgrave Island Lagoon part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, with the Giant Clam earing its spot at number 5, alongside the likes of Whales, Manta Rays, Clown Fish, Sharks, Potato Cod, Maori Wrasse and Turtles.

Lady Musgrave Island is one of the only locations along the Great Barrier Reef where all 8 can be found, including of course the amazing Giant Clam.

Did you know?

It’s said that, like a human fingerprint, no two Giant Clams have the same colouration or mantle pattern. These wild technicolour effects actually come from algae living within the clam’s tissue.

These extraordinary mollusks, which can grow to 1.5 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kilograms, feature a pretty ordinary exterior but a stunning mantle – the fleshy part protruding from the shell.

One of these Clams is not like the other….

Adult giant clams cannot close their shells completely. This makes them the only species of clams unable to do so.

Male or Female?

By nature, Giant Clams are hermaphrodites. They possess the reproductive organs of both the sexes.

Despite this, they cannot reproduce on their own. On the contrary, they release sperms and eggs into the water.

A single giant clam can release over 500 million eggs at one time.

What’s for dinner?

The algae that grow within the Giant Clam’s mantle tissue are their main source of food. The giant clams absorb sugars and proteins, which these algae produce as they photosynthesize. The nutrition that they get from these algae enables them to acquire such enormous sizes.

Owing to their immense size and their sessility, giant clams are also preyed upon by a number of predators which are, more often than not, much smaller than them.

Let 1770reef help you tick the famous GIANT CLAM # 5 on the Great Barrier Reef Great 8 off your bucket list!!! Bookings 0749727222https://www.1770reef.com.au/book-now/

Baby Turtles Hatching

Posted on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 by Katrina

Turtles Hatching

Marine turtles have nested on parts of the Queensland coast for thousands of years. To watch a marine turtle nest is to experience one of nature’s truly wonderful rituals. A marine turtle can be between 30 to 50 years of age before it begins to breed and may only breed every few years.

When do they Hatch

The hatchlings join the world from about January to April, emerging in a flurry from their nests, generally during the night, after a period of 7 to 10 weeks in the nest. They have an extremely low chance of survival, with only about one (1) in one thousand (1000) reaching maturity.

In the nest, hatchlings break their egg shell wall within hours of each other and then it can take up to 24 hours to emerge totally from the eggshell. En masse, they climb upwards towards the surface, breathing the air in between the grains of sand. It can take them up to 2 days to actually reach the surface.

From the nest, the hatchlings will race down to the ocean as they respond to the environmental indicators around to help them on their way to the water. This can take several minutes to achieve and at all stages they may be vulnerable to predators both on shore and in the water.

Which turtles are you likely see at Lady Musgrave Island

Lady Musgrave Island is fortunate enough to have many Green Turtles, with sightings of Loggerheads and occasionally the endangered Hawksbill the Hawksbill are very special when you see them they actually look like they have a hawks bill. Green and Loggerheads are the most common hatchlings beginning their lives in the beautiful waters of Lady Musgrave Lagoon.