5 Reasons Daydream Island is one of Australia’s top snorkelling spots

Juvenile Anemonefish at Daydream Island

IF snorkelling with the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef is on your bucket list, you may want to book a trip to Daydream Island immediately.

Located in the Whitsundays, Daydream Island is one of the most naturally beautiful islands in Australia with white coral beaches and turquoise seas.

The island is also a snorkeller’s paradise.

John Gaskell, the manager of Daydream Island’s Living Reef attraction, and resident marine biologist, said the waters surrounding the island were teaming with fish and coral.

“The diversity of fish and corals found around Daydream Island is comparable to even the most dense parts of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.

He said the coral reefs, particularly those around popular Lovers Cove, allowed people to snorkel in a safe environment that boasted many of the region’s marine wonders.

Here are five great reasons you should snorkel at Daydream Island:

1) Easy Access

The island is easily accessible to travellers and is only a 30-minute ferry trip from the Great Barrier Reef Airport on Hamilton Island (which has direct flights daily to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns).

Travellers can also fly to the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine on the mainland. From the airport, there is a 30-minute transfer to the Abel Point Marina in Airlie Beach, where a connecting ferry transfers guests to Daydream in 30 minutes.

Once you get to the island, you can immediately go snorkelling off one of the island’s most popular locations, Lovers Cove.

2) You can see Nemo’s Cousin!

Ever since the Disney movie Finding Nemo, children and adults have alike have been fascinated by the striking orange Clownfish or ‘Nemo’.

At Daydream Island, snorkellers can see ‘Nemo’s cousin, the gorgeous Red-And-Black Anemonefish. They can also see five other Anemonefish from the same genus in this part of the Great Barrier Reef.

“Evidence of breeding Red-and-Black Anemonefish is an indicator of the health of the fringing reef habitat that surrounds Daydream Island,” said Mr Gaskell.

3) Great variety

Surf Parrotfish viewed whilst snorkelling at Lovers Cove

Daydream Island has a diverse and extensive marine ecosystem. Just a few metres off the shore of popular Lovers Cove, snorkellers can see a variety of colourful fish including the aforementioned Red-And-Black- Anemone Fish, the colourful Surf Parrot fish, the Blue Tuskfish, Fusiliers and Sergeant Majors.

4) The Fish Come to You!

If snorkelling is a bit too much effort, you can just sit in the shallows and wait for the fish to come to you! A staff member will simply throw fish pellets into the water and before you know it, the fish will be swimming around your feet. Easy!

5) Education

Want to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef?

Daydream Island is also home to one of the world’s largest man-made living coral reef lagoons, the Living Reef. It features more than 140 species of marine fish and 80 species of coral and guests have the opportunity to hand feed resident stingrays, sharks and barramundi.

There’s also the Living Reef Ranger program for those guests who want an extended hands-on Living Reef experience and become more educated about the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem and the animals that live within it.

Bookings can be made at the Activities Desk.

For more information on visiting Daydream Island visit www.daydreamisland.com

Baby Nemos to find new home at Daydream Island

Male clownfish nurturing the eggs

Daydream Island Resort and Spa in the tropical Whitsundays is getting ready to welcome its first set of baby ‘Nemos’ to the world.

Daydream’s marine biologists have discovered that one of the resort’s six clownfish pairs have laid its first batch of eggs in the Nemoville Lagoon in the iconic Living Reef attraction. The clownfish pair will guard the eggs until they hatch within the next 10 days.

The clownfish, known for its striped orange and white appearance, is often referred to as ‘Nemo’ after the main character of the popular Disney animated film, Finding Nemo.

“With the sea temperatures slowly increasing, many species of fish have begun spawning and sights like this will become more common,” said Living Reef Manager John Gaskell.

“It is great to see that the animals in the Living Reef on Daydream Island are healthy and happy enough in their environment to reproduce.”

Clownfish are monogamous, choosing one partner for life. When the conditions are right and as the water temperature warms up, the male will prepare an area suitable for the female to lay her eggs. The nest area is usually on a hard surface next to an anemone so the anemone tentacles protect the eggs. Once the female lays her eggs it is the male that does most of the work, making sure the eggs are well ventilated and protected from predators. Clownfish eggs hatch in less than 10 days depending on the temperature of the water.

The female standing guard

“Once the young clownfish hatch they will generally be carried away by currents and hopefully drift towards an anemone where they might establish their new home,” John Gaskell said.

“We will endeavour to catch some and put them in a holding tank to ensure survival, though this might be difficult as they hatch at night.

“Either way we can expect an increase in our clownfish population which is always one of our most popular attractions.”

Daydream Island Resort and Spa’s Living Reef is one of the world's largest man-made living coral reef lagoons.

It is home to more than 140 species of colourful marine fish, 82 species of coral and 15 species of invertebrates such as starfish, sea cucumbers and crabs.

Comprising a north and south lagoon and holding more than 1.5 million litres of water, the Living Reef lets visitors learn about and get up close to the fascinating inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef.

For more information visit www.daydreamisland.com 

Media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs
Pictures: John Gaskell