Luka, Jade, Zana, Lottie and Izzy

Monday:
The week started with both Team Lemons and Team Sandpipers heading out on the boat for whale watching and a transect. For Team Lemons, it was a particularly special moment – Luka heard whales through the hydrophone for the very first time, which made the experience emotional and unforgettable. Not long after, the group had a close encounter with whales during the session, adding even more excitement. Afterwards, the teams swapped so everyone could share in the experience.

Tuesday:
The weather wasn’t on our side on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop the fieldwork from going ahead. Team Lemons set off bright and early at 5:00 a.m. to Paindane fisheries, with Team Sandpipers following at 5:30 a.m. to Guinjata fisheries. By midday, Team Sandpipers continued their efforts with a land-based whale-watching session, rewarded with plenty of breaching action to keep spirits high despite the less-than-ideal conditions.

Wednesday:
On Wednesday we headed early to Paindane for another day at fisheries. Due to the strong winds and rain, it was a quiet day, which gave us some time to read and relax from a busy week of fieldwork. In the morning one person went out with a kayak and ended up two bays north! Even though it was a slow day, we still managed to collect some data!

Thursday:
The Lemons had our first double transect dives today and they went really well! We came out of the water buzzing because everything ran smoothly underwater and the conditions were lovely with great visibility. We spotted heaps of cool animals too like a cowfish, some really cool anemones, massive nudis and two blue spotted rays. After the dives we headed home and spent the rest of the arvo logging. Such a lovely day.
The sandpipers started the day at Guinjata fisheries with Mario where we ran over the beach to make sure we measured all the fish! In the afternoon we headed up to Jay’s house for some whale watching. We saw a lot of whales in the bay and had a lovely time studying their behaviours!

Friday:
Friday was a busy and eventful day, starting bright and early with Team Lemons at Guinjata fisheries. Meanwhile, Team Sandpipers headed out for two transects and were treated to incredible diving conditions with amazing visibility. Their dives revealed plenty of exciting sightings, including a common octopus, a peacock mantis shrimp, and several beautiful nudibranchs. Even with a few technical issues with the GoPro, there was still plenty of valuable data to log. By midday, Team Lemons began their whale-watching session and were rewarded with the sight of several calves breaching – a magical way to bring the week to a close.

Excited to see what the next week brings!