Flying Turtles

This past weekend my daughter and I went kayaking (in our canoe) with the Darwin Bushwalking club.

Child friendly event

A small section of the flotilla

As the tide was rising and with about 16 other kayakers we paddled out through the mangroves into Ludmilla Bay.

Time for a lesson

Darwin's mangroves are so full of life but we rarely get to explore them. I tend to avoid paddling around them on my own for fear of an encounter with crocodiles. With a group I felt much more confident that we'd be safe.

Kayak in the treetops

With Dr Kristin Metcalfe as our guide we paddled from the nearest point at Nightcliff along the coast to Ludmilla Creek.
 

Dr Metcalfe leading from a canoe

Although I had studied mangroves during my Land Management course about 15 years ago there is a mountain of stuff I don't know, so having Dr Metcalfe with us really made the trip a lot more interesting.

Sea and Sky

The most fascinating piece of information she shared with us was the idea that Sea Turtles may actually nibble on the young leaves of mangrove trees... Let that sink in. 
A turtle that glides across the tops of trees chewing on leaves! 

I am now imagining turtles in the treetops. What a fantastical image!