Yup, I did that…It all seems a little surreal today as I think back, but I did it.

In fact, if you’re surfing anywhere, you’re likely to be surfing with these heavily teethed fish…

I felt very secure where we were – inside a coral reef by Lancelin Island in Western Australia.

The friends I was with surfing had been coming to this very beach year in and year out from their youth.

I was learning how to boogie-board (sometimes called body boarding) and progressing up to a surfboard.

We never saw anything suspicious – in fact, we never even saw dolphins there.

We surfed at Christmas for about 2 weeks straight every day in between sun tanning and eating seafood, of course…

The last day, right before we left we decided to get one more surf in. I was excited because I’d learned the fundamentals well and was pretty confident, after being banged around a bit on the reef for a good 2 weeks.

Everyone was taking their last ride in on the wave of their choice and for whatever reason, I ended up being the last person out there with people getting out of the water and standing on the beach watching.

Waiting for the perfect final wave to catch, I saw my friends waving at me from the shore, so I waved back, thinking we were all just having a lot of fun.

I caught that next wave and had a great ride in – satisfied with my first surfing experiences during our vacation.

We packed up and were driving North – back home to Perth.

My friends said, “Canuck…” (they called me Canuck because I’m Canadian), “…Remember when we were all waving at you on the beach when you were about to catch your last wave in?”…

I said, “Yes…Why?”

They continued to tell me that they were waving because there was a big shark coming straight toward me – they could see it’s fin above the surf…but they didn’t want to startle me and alarm the shark even more of a frightened creature – making me as a human seem like a scared turtle – a tasty snack for a large shark, which could have been a Great White or a Tiger shark in this area.

Wow – God was watching me that day – I caught that very next wave in and they didn’t want to really scare me at the beach by telling me there…

That was my experience surfing with sharks.

Really, until I just wrote this post, it was never very “personal” to me because it was a story that I didn’t feel like I experienced…But imagining the scene with what happened in the water that day just made that memory very “real”…

Phew, and I blessed!

Have fun, but be careful and be aware of what’s going on…Be as calm as you can be. Try not to dangle your arms and legs off your surfboard so as to look like a tasty turtle.

Most shark attacks are acts of mistaken identity. Sharks don’t really prefer the taste of humans. In fact, they often spit you out after an attack. However, the severe damage has already been done, most of the time.

Be smart out there…

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you’re a boogie boarder too, check out this cool boogie board sock I found to protect your board when transporting it:

OCEAN AND EARTH Bodyboard Sock Ocean & Earth’s Bodyboard Sock is a stretch cover that fits boards plus or minus 3 from specified cover size.

Technorati Tags: sharks, shark week, Australian sharks, Lancelin Island, surfing Australia, boogie boarding, body boarding, coral reef, Great White shark, Tiger shark, fish, Australian animals, ocean animals

Surfing With Sharks in Australia is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

What do I know about sharks?

Well, I know a little bit about sharks. I’ve swam with them, I’ve seen them, and I’ve surfed with them.

Yeah, I know them a little bit!

I traveled around Australia back in 1995 for a few months backpacking my way through the center of Aussie, hitting the Northern Territory and going West back down the coast all the way back to Perth, Western Australia.

On my journey, I stopped in Exmouth, Western Australia where I had the amazing opportunity to swim with whale sharks out past the reef.

A helicopter would relay the coordinates of the whale sharks they spotted to our diving boat and we’d get there as quickly as possible to be dropped off right in front of their path.

They typically swim slow enough for you to be able to keep up with them for a while, then they’ll delve into the dark, deep waters off the coast when they’ve had enough of us or swim much faster to get ahead.

These creatures are larger than a bus! What a life-changing experience to feel so very small and insignificant to this Ocean Animal!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Rhincodontidae
Genus: Rhincodon
Species: R. typus

Conservation Status:
This is considered to be a vulnerable species for endangerment!

Amazing creatures and I do hope that one day, you’ll get to see one in the wild too!

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I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Let your kids get interactive with whale sharks by surprising them with these 2 figurines:

Safari 210602 Whale Shark Animal Figure- Pack of 2 stunning scale model ocean replicas expertly sculpted with the collaboration of the scientists of the monterey bay aquarium in monterey, california. this unique colletion of ocean creatures are found in the waters off the coast of the half moon bay which is where the aquarium is located. it is approximately 100 miles south of san francisco. the mission of the aquarium is to foster ocean conservation and protect it and its sea dwellers throughout the world. safari shares this commitment with them. each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last scale. educational information in five languages provides excellent data to help teach children about these mysteries of the deep. all our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard your child’s health. safari ltd takes pride in providing breathtaking, innovative and value priced figures for now over three generations. featured is our monterey bay whale shark size: 10″ l x 2.5″ h (25.5 x 6.5 cm). suggested age 3 and up

Technorati Tags: fish, Australian animals, sharks, whale sharks, Exmouth Australia, Australia, Exmouth, whale shark diving, whale shark spotting, whale shark swimming, whale shark snorkeling, snorkeling, shark week

Whale Sharks in Australia is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Well, the day before we went whale shark swimming in Exmouth, Australia, I took a tour where we snorkeled off of the coast of Exmouth’s pure, white sand beaches.

I was a little nervous about the sharks and asked the “local girl” that came with us if it was pretty safe. She said that the only sharks you’d see would be white-tipped reef sharks and they don’t bug you unless you provoke them, but that we probably wouldn’t even see any of them where we were.

So, I got up the courage to get out there, since I had to be ready for whale shark swimming in the open ocean the next morning, and waded out into the water. I put my face under the water with my mask on, and what’s the first thing I see? A whitetip reef shark!

Wow – I think I grew a jet propeller out of my body and was back into the shore within seconds, it seemed! LOL

However, after having a good pep talk with myself, I got back out there and enjoyed the rest of the day, not to see another shark again! LOL…

We did get to see giant clams, numerous fish, corals and even some dolphins swimming afar.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus

Wow – more stories tomorrow!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Want to visit Exmouth? Stay at the Best Western Sea Breeze Resort:

Best Western Sea Breeze Resort 38450-Best Western Sea Breeze Resort-116 North C Street Harold E. Holt Naval Base-Exmouth-6707-Western Australia-AUS-

Technorati Tags: white tipped reef shark, sharks, fish, white tip, reef shark, Australian animals, snorkeling Australia, snorkeling, Exmouth, Exmouth Australia, Australia

My First Shark Sighting – Whitetip Reef Sharks is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

My hubby and I watched the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith a few nights ago, which was fabulous, I might add!

In the movie, the main character has a box jellyfish as an exotic pet in a large cylindrical tank!

What an amazing creature, which just happens to have the most deadly venom in the animal kingdom!

In fact, there have been 5,568 human fatalities due to the box jellyfish recorded since 1954.

Extreme care and caution needs to be taken when caring for a pet of this danger level.

Also, you cannot store the jellyfish with any other creature in the tank, as they’ll paralyze it and eat it.

Although so high venomous, the sea turtle is immune to the sting of the jellyfish and is one of their food sources.

However, it is a fantastical invertebrate that you could watch for hours at a time as it pulsates through the water.

In the wild, the seasons of highest risk are from October through May, although they are quite evident throughout the rest of the year too.

Box jellyfish are concentrated in tropical areas such as Australia, Vietnam, Phillippines and Hawaii.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Cubozoa
Order: Cubomedusae

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I hope you enjoyed this Invertebrate post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. If you haven’t seen the movie “Seven Pounds”, you really must – it’s dramatic, heart warming, a story of love and loss – Fantastic:

Seven Pounds Academy Award nominee Will Smith (2006, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, The Pursuit of Happyness) stars as Ben Thomas, a man at a crossroads searching for a way to redeem his heavy conscience. He discovers he has the power to change the circumstances of seven strangers who deserve a second chance. But when one of them captures his heart, he must decide if he should reveal his secret — even if it means giving up on his plan. From the creators of The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds is an emotionally charged, captivating mystery with a soulful, tender love story and a tearful but joyfully inspiring ending (Movieguide).

Technorati Tags: box jellyfish, jellyfish, invertebrates, tropical animals, marine animals, venomous animals, dangerous animals, Seven Pounds

A Box Jellyfish for a Pet? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

I’ve never been so scared of a bird before…

In fact, I’ve never been scared of a bird before this!

When I lived in Western Australia, I was there to play softball. So, I jogged in the mornings each day.

The very first morning I went out through our neighborhood alone, I was shocked to see the amazing wildlife, parrots everywhere covering trees, a kangaroo or two, some kookaburras, some lizards and lots of flies! LOL…

…But there were these large birds called magpies, or “maggies” as their nicknamed there.

They are large like a big seagulls with pointy beaks, but are black and white all over…Or, they look like big crows with a bit of white on them…

They are much larger than their cousins around the world. The Western Magpie is the bird I was dealing with on a daily basis.

Why are they scary?
Well, it’s like they stalk you…They follow you where you walk, jog, run.

Then, if it’s nesting season, they’ll fly above you and swoop down on you, especially if you have long hair…

Why?
They want your hair for their nest. Either that, or they’re protecting their nests and you look like a predator!

I’ve even seen them chase other birds, animals, even hawks during this time.

I have long, long hair, so a ponytail just wasn’t going to do it. I either had to put my hair in a tight bun or wear a hat with my hair tucked into it when I jogged.

Anyway, they’re not little birds to say the least! They’ve even been known to kill small animals swooping on them or human babies…

There was a couple bringing their baby to the car when I was there back in the 90s and a maggie swooped down, for whatever reason, and cracked that babies skull.

Yes, I’m serious!

Anyway, if you see magpies in the air near you, cover your head and face or wave your arms above your head…

There are Warning Signs explaining that the magpies swoop. They say to walk quickly through the area, but not to run. They also suggest to wear a hat or carry an umbrella.

People riding bikes should dismount and walk through the area.

I got swooped and one just cut my skin on my forearm as I was waving them above my head. Looking back, probably not the right thing to do, but it was swooping me…

Why my Aussie roommates didn’t warn me…LOL…I don’t know…LOL…

Keep a look out! You can’t harm these birds in any way, as they are a protected species under the Nature Conservation Act in Australia.

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I hope you found this Australia Animal post interesting on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Nonetheless, there are a lot of avid magpie lovers, probably moreso with others around the world…LOL…:

Magpies And Friends Print By Jill Barton Jill Barton img: 19.89 x 35.97 paper: 22.00 x 38.00

Technorati Tags: magpies, Australian animals, Australian birds, birds, maggies, Australian magpie

Swooping Magpies in Australia is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

A Cassowary is a flightless Australian bird, and is native to the tropical forests of New Guinea.

It’s funny because Australia has another flightless bird, the emu, making it and the cassowary the 2nd and 3rd largest flightless birds in the world, behind Africa’s ostrich.

Females are larger than males and are more vividly colored, and may reach up to 2 meters tall! That’s a big bird!

Known to be a timid bird, it can inflict serious injury to human adults, and fatal injury to dogs and children. They have 3 toes and extremely sharp talons/claws.

Check out this great, but short, video showing a wild Cassowary on an island of the Great Barrier Reef:

They are omnivorous, but mostly eat fruits, shoots, grass seeds, as well as fungi. However, it will also make a quick meal of invertebrates and small vertebrates alike.

2 of the species produce a very low pitch frequency that is just on the cusp of the lower end of human hearing, which is thought to assist with communication in dense forest habitat, and is likened to a “boom”.

Conservation Status:
The Southern Cassowary is Endangered in Queensland, Australia due to habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as being hit by cars and attacked by dogs. Hunting, natural disease and destroying/removing animals that have attacked humans all contribute as well.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Struthioniformes
Family: Casuariidae
Genus: Casuarius
Species: There are 4 species – C. casuarius, C. unappendiculatus, C. bennetti, C. lydekki

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I hope you enjoyed this Bird post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: Great Barrier Reef, cassowary, cassowary bird, birds, Australian birds, Australian animals, flightless bird

Cassowary of the Great Barrier Reef is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

As you saw in the last post’s video, there were some really amazing cod fish shown.

So, I figured I would show you a little bit more about them.

As you could guess, they are regular inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef.

They can actually reach a length of 2 meters – that’s about as big as a reef shark, but it’s so much heavier and more bulky too!

Wasn’t that awesome? I would love to do this one day…They are real gentle giants of the fish world…

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Genus: Epinephelus
Species: E. tukula

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I hope you enjoyed this Australian Fish post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: Australian fish, potato cod, potato grouper, fish, Australian animals, Great Barrier Reef, ocean animals, potato bass

Potato Cod on the Great Barrier Reef is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

The very first shark I ever saw in the ocean was a Whitetip Reef Shark!

Not only that, it was the very first time I had ever snorkeled either…I went under the water for the first dip and there was a shark! It was probably about 5 feet long!

Sure…It brought me right back up to the surface and ready to head back to shore, but our guide told me they’re harmless, unless you really mess around with them and bother them, which I was not even about to attempt.

This wasn’t on the Great Barrier Reef, but on the Ningaloo Reef on the other side of Australia.

I’m sure you’ve heard of shark feedings and tours that take you out to experience this. Well, I’ve found a video showing you a shark feed on the Great Barrier Reef.

You’ll know the whitetip reef sharks because they have a white tip on their tail and caudal fin:

Wasn’t that beautiful and amazing! Did you check out the huge Cod? Wow!

I’d love to see this in person…The animals are just fantastic!

These reef sharks feed on fish, octopi and crustaceans, but more so at night as they are nocturnal. Also, as their diet indicates, they prefer to dwell on the bottom of the reef, where they sleep during the day.

Conservation Status:
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a Near Threatened species of shark and are prevalent all over the world. In fact, I think it was a whitetip reef shark we dissected in lab in University for Pre-Med.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus

***

I hope you enjoy this Shark post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: whitetip reef shark, reef shark, white tip reef shark, shark, sharks, fish, Australian animals, Great Barrier Reef

Whitetip Reef Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Hawksbill Turtles are regulars on the Great Barrier Reef, as they prefer shallow water or lagoons.

The Hawksbill is a Critically Endangered Animal!

They are easily distinguishable by their sharply curved beak, which resembles like a hawk’s bill.

They glide through the water with effortless ease. Check out this great video of a Hawksbill Turtle on the Great Barrier Reef:

Their preferred food source are sea sponges, which makes them unique in that they are one of the few animals with the ability to eat siliceous organisms. Plus, many of the sea sponges they venture to feed on are extremely toxic and lethal to other animals.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Eretmochelys
Species: E. imbricata

These turtles have been hunted in Asia fervently for their meat, as well as their shell for decorative purposes. Today, it is illegal to capture or trade the animal or parts of the Hawksbill turtle.

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I hope you enjoyed this Sea Turtle post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: Hawksbill turtle, turtles, sea turtles, endangered animals, Australia animals, Great Barrier Reef, reptiles

Hawksbill Turtles are Regulars on the Great Barrier Reef is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover

Northern Australia has the largest population of “Salties” in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef is no exception, although you may be shocked to see one swimming in the ocean…Well, that’s why they’re called saltwater crocodiles. Plus, there’s plenty of food out there for them.

In fact, according to WWF, it has unique habitats and breeding sites for the saltwater crocodile.

I found this short video showing a saltwater crocodile that caught a large turtle on the shores of an island in the Great Barrier Reef:

I’ve been to the Northern Territory of Australia and I can truly vouch for the large number of crocodiles there…and really large ones at that! So, I guess it would make sense that they would be present off the Northern coast of Queensland as well!

When in the water, always be aware of what’s going on around you…Be alert and smart about your actions.

***

I hope you enjoy this Australian Reptile post on Exotic Animal Lover during Great Barrier Reef Month! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Vote for Me to win the Dream Job of Caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia:

Vote 5-Stars for Kimberly!

Technorati Tags: saltwater crocodile, crocodile, salties, Australian animals, Australian reptiles, reptiles, crocs, marine animals

Saltwater Crocodiles on the Great Barrier Reef? is a post from: Exotic Animal Lover