Raine Island - Nature's Cradle on the Edge of the Coral Sea
Satellite Web Cast From Turtle Heaven and Hell
Journal Entry - 11- 29 - 02 - Finally at Sea
Well, we finally pulled away from the dock eight hours late. Final phone calls made and preparations completed , we motored over to the fueling dock to fill our tanks for the day and half run up Australia's East coast to Lockhart River where we will refuel and then head out for another half day to Raine Island.
The sun was up and shinning in its tropical brillance at 8:30 when we finished refueling. The hold up was caused by the world's largest overnight courier service which lost fourteen data tags, being sent from Norway, which are to be attached to birds and turtles as part of scientific research projects at Raine Island. Now almost half a day late the tags, a week late, are to be delivered to Lizard Island. So we'll stop at Lizard on our way to Lockhart and pick up the tags...if they are delivered. Without the tags, the documentary is inexorably changed.
Now, underway, motoring Northeast up the coast of Queensland, the Great Dividing Range to our port (left), the big problem has become boredom. The preliminary reports from the reports from turtle specialists promise this will be a good year for turtle nesting activity at Raine Island which should also mean lots of shark activity. This only increases anxiety about having to sit and wait for two days before going into action.
The boat and film crew and scientists all find different ways to occupy themselves and pass the time. Sometimes it is easiest to just close the eyes while others find it easiest to pass the time reading on the back deck.
The boat we are on, the MV Floreat, is a steel hulled 60 foot former Great Barrier Marine Park Authority boat which even did duty as a customs inspections vessel. The Floreat is skippered by a father /son team. Gordon, the father, who backs up his son, Marcus, has spent forty years on the great barrier. They have owned and sucessfull operated the Floreat as a charter boat She cruises at about 10 knots which is about average for a boat this size loaded down with the all the equipment we have on board.
We will reach Lizard in the morning and send an update late on the 30th when we reach Lockhart River.
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Photo Captions:
• Final preparations, Jeremy Hogarth, Director places a last call to family.
• Reading to kill the time.
• Reading to kill the time.
• Gordon, Master Mariner, forty years on the Barrier Reef
• Cape Flattery and Great Dividing Range in the background to Port.
• Sleeping off the boredom.