North East Herald Cay - Message-in-a-bottle

I don't think I mentioned the message-in-a-bottle that we found on Northeast Cay (Herald Cays) out in the Coral Sea on Father's Day!

We were very excited as it is the first real, travelling message in a bottle that we have found! We found one once before, on Middleton Reef....but that one had just been left on a wreck by some previous visitors. This bottle had travelled about 1750 nm across the sea!! Apparently it had been released by some people on the PO Pacific Pearl cruise ship last October (2014)....somewhere between Tonga and Norfolk Island. They used a Moet et Chandon bottle....which I am sure helped increase the odds of it surviving its voyage! I wish they had sent it in a full bottle though ;)!! There is a list of names and addresses in the bottle, and I am in the process of writing to them all. Have you ever found a real, well-travelled message in a bottle? It's a bit fun!!

North East Herald Cay - Bird Life

The bird life at North East Herald Cay did not disappoint with a wide range of seabirds nesting in different ecological zones across the island.

Our favorites remain the Frigate Birds and Boobies, but the Red Tailed Tropic Birds were also amazing with their bright red beaks and long tail feathers.

The birds would often follow us as we walked around the cay, gliding slowly behind us or hovering quietly just overhead. 

At North East Herald Cay it was clear that neither side would get bored of looking at the other. What a magical place...

North East Herald Cay - Water sports on 'Mini-Me' sand bank...

At low tide a 'Mini-Me' North Herald Cay was exposed about 150m ahead of Lucey Blue. The crystal clear waters tempted us to take our paddle board and kayak across one afternoon to play in the small surf.

The paddle across was fun - despite some spills.

The surf zone provided the most fun for everyone and there were a lot of laughs as the kids rode the board into the beach.

Eric also enjoyed building castles with the fine white sand before we headed home for dinner.

What a great way to wind down after a hard day at work!

North East Herald Cay - A healthy reef system with curious fish!

The reef system around North East Herald Cay is exposed to the Coral Sea and can be pounded by large seas so only the hardiest coral survives. Nonetheless, there are some amazing patches of coral inside the reef barrier around the cay and friendly fish everywhere.

Emily and Ryan were enthralled as large schools of Garfish and reef fish encirled them. They even seemed to enjoy the regular encounters with small(ish) reef sharks...

The amount of underwater life at North East Herald Cay when compared to East Diamond Islet is stunning and it is clear that 'No Fishing Zones' really do work!