On Wednesday the 8th of October, eight people with vision loss met at Beaumaris Surf Life Saving Club for a guided coastal walk around Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary.
Marine Scientist and teacher, Jacqui Younger, from the Dolphin Research Institute, was the group’s tour guide for the day, sharing fascinating information about local marine life, dolphin research and the history of how this area became a protected sanctuary.
Walking along the plateau at low tide was certainly a challenge, with slippery seaweed, undulating rock and pools of water, but it was exhilarating to feel the sea breeze, smell the salty air, taste edible seaweed and hold a tickly crab.
Back on dry land, Jacqui handed around tactile objects for the group to feel including, a dolphin skull, whale baleen plates, seal fur and Port Jackson shark eggs.
Participant, Martha, said of the day, “I’d never heard of Ricketts Point or the Marine Sanctuary. To come out here and know that I can walk on the reef at low tide with all the birds, touch things and smell the sea air, I will certainly be back again. To eat the seaweed, Neptune Necklaces, which burst in my mouth and tasted like olives, was really cool, but I’d never held a crab before, so that was a highlight too!”
Thank you to Bayside City Council for all their support.
