Friday, October 26, 2012

Holidaying with the Hawksbills


When you live in the Maldives plenty of people are under the impression that you are permanently on holiday. I tend to enjoy being the object of envy so I don’t waste time correcting them (other than pointing out that I’m getting paid for it). But from time to time it’s good to do some work, so I have journeyed to Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi for a short time to spread the love of marine biology and see how I can help with regards to the environment on their island.

The UAE has in recent years taken many new initiatives with regards to environmental care, and we at Hyatt fully support this turn of events. It’s important that we are responsible, ultimately allowing our guests enjoy the natural resources.  

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi is perched on the edge of a nature reserve, which during the summer months, hosts the critically endangered hawksbill turtles to lay their eggs.  That they still feel comfortable to come ashore just meters from the hotel is remarkable.  Lights, obstacles or noise easily disturbs nesting females; so we must take great care to cater to their sensitivity.

Hawksbill turtles are old friends of mine from the Maldives; they are such regular visitors of the Hadahaa house reef that at least two seem to be resident. Hawksbills are astonishing for many reasons starting with their choice of food; as adults they almost exclusively eat sponges. We think of sponge as a soft and cuddly substance, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most sponges are full of needle sharp spines and powerful toxins making them decidedly unpalatable for most creatures. But not the Hawksbill. They have a titanium* digestive system and a hooked beak that allows them to feast on this otherwise untapped food source.  More than just good for the turtles; this is also good for the coral.  Declining turtle numbers is having serious consequences as unrestrained sponges grow over and kill the coral, jeopardizing the future of the entire reef.  

Turtles rely heavily on their instincts, although very lovely, they are not especially bright. The brain is a hungry organ in terms of oxygen demand and since turtles have to relentlessly hold their breath to survive in the underwater world, conserving oxygen is a priority. It turns out; having a tiny brain is not so stupid after all. I sometimes find myself getting jealous of the turtles have an innate ability to always know what to do and where to go. From their first few hours in the nest, they break out of their shell and sense the direction of gravity knowing that they must dig up. Not all the way, because they may have to wait below the surface to sense the temperature of the sand, making sure that it’s night when they make their perilous crawl to the sea. Once again, no instructions needed, they head towards the greatest source of light (which should be the reflection of the moon on the water).  Upon reaching the shore they detect the direction of the waves and automatically swim out to sea. After a few years in the open ocean they manage to direct themselves towards a coral reef to feed so that 20 to 30 years later, they are ready to reproduce. Turtles are able to hone in on variations in the earths’ magnetism and travel hundreds of miles to find the exact area in which they were born to lay their own eggs.  The most remarkable thing of all, this was happening 150 million years before GPS.


* I don’t mean literally- that is biologically very improbable. 

A beautiful hawksbill swooping over the Hadahaa house reef

Friday, October 12, 2012

Look Closely


I’m a girl impressed by size; on a recent trip to Western Australia I was exhilarated by hoards of humpback whales, my first snorkel with a 10 metre whale shark is as vivid now as it was 5 years ago.  In the waters around Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa we’re always eager to see the big things, swooping stingrays or giant turtles. But as I’ve matured (a bit), I’ve become just as enthusiastic about the less conspicuous creatures on the Hadahaa House Reef. There’s a delicate beauty in everything that should never be overlooked. Patterns formed by the repetitive symmetry of coral polyps are mesmerizing in themselves. Of course it’s a bit easier to get up close if you’re diving, but that’s not to say that snorkelers miss out if you have your eyes peeled. Here are my awards for less spotted reef creatures with cool names (see previous note on maturity): 


ALGAE CATEGORY


Sailors’ Eyeball - Ventricaria ventricosa  
Photo courtesy of reefguide.org
Winner - Sailors’ Eyeball

Not your stereotypical seaweed, the sailor’s eyeball is a shiny green blob with a mystical radiance. Made of only one enormous cell like a water balloon, it’s a little gem that sits amid the coral rubble glinting at passers-by like a crystal ball.



Rusty Scum Algae – Schizothrix calcicola
Photo courtesy of algaebase.org

Runner up – Rusty scum algae

Although extremely common and essentially just slime, it allows you to see photosynthesis in action; I particularly enjoy popping the little bubbles of oxygen that get trapped under the surface of the mat.




WORM CATEGORY

Winner - Christmas Tree Worm

Look closely at boulder corals and you might spot the beauty queens of the worm world.  Only the spiralling feathery radioles can be seen poking out of their holes. Coming in a variety of festive colours, these perfect mini Christmas trees are used by the worm to absorb oxygen and catch titbits. 

Christmas Tree Worm - Spirobranchus giganteus 



Giant Spaghetti Worm - Reterebella sp.
photo courtesy of reef.org

Runner up - Giant Spaghetti Worm

Keep an eye out for their sticky white feeding tentacles that slink along the reef-floor searching for unfortunate little creatures to ensnare and deliver back to their hungry mouth.  



CRUSTACEAN CATEGORY

Winner - Painted Rock Lobster


 If you look under rocks and overhangs you might spot this elaborately coloured, secretive and delicious lobster.   


Painted Rock Lobster - Panulirus versicolor
 Photo taken at Hadahaa courtesy of Stefan Grimmelt


Hidden Sea Whip Shrimp - Pontonides sp.




Runner up - Hidden Sea Whip Shrimp

Easy to find if you have a good memory, this little chap hardly moves from its marital home within the polyps of black coral. 


Leopard Flounder - Bothus patherinus 



FISH CATEGORY




Winner - Flounder


If “Where’s Wally” was a fish… a supreme master of disguise 









Ghost Pipefish - Solenostomus cyanopterus






Runner up - Ghost Pipefish

Is it a fish? Is it a piece of sea grass?
Very hard to tell.