ROCKY SHORES HOLIDAY ACTIVITY

A Rocky Shores Holiday activity was recently held at Black Head. Sponsoring groups were Hallidays Point Library Plus, Hallidays Point Tidy Towns, and Hallidays Point Landcare.

Keith Davey, National Parks Discovery Ranger, led 20 children and numerous adults along the beach at Black Head and onto the rocky platform behind the Black Head pool. Everyone had a great time searching for and finding interesting anilmals and plants. Participants all learned a lot about intertidal animals and plants and their importance to the marine environment. It is certainly a tough place to survive! They also learned that the biggest threat to marine animals is plastic bags and other things such as plastic cigarette lighters that look like food - rubbish can kill whales and turtles by lodging in their digestive system so they cannot take in food and they starve to death. Abandoned nets, fishing lines and hooks often lodge in the mouth or around the legs of sea birds when they dive for fish. Many pelicans and cormorants become entagled in fishing line and when examined are found to have multiple hooks lodged in different parts of the body. Recently a young whale was sighted moving north dragging three fishing buoys.

Keith delivered a few very important reminders for all of us to look after our beautiful coastal environment. Thanks Keith!