Black Swans
Cygnus atratus resting in their little corner of Lake Curalo, as well as Pelicans, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons....
Swamp Paperbark
Melaleuca ericifolia
Twining Glycine Glycine clandestina
Forest Starwort
Stellaria flaccida
Rough-fruited Pittosporum
Pittosporum revolutum
A water skink
Eulamprus sp.
The Lake is sometimes open to the sea. At present it has been closed to the sea for about three years.
Jelly Blubber
Catostylus mosaicus
Fabulous boardwalk art
And now for the story of the Swan Rescue...
Whilst scootering around the lovely Lake Curalo boardwalk on the last evening of our holiday, my daughter and I came upon a swan caught up in fishing line. The frightened swan twisted about in a contorted way, eventually freeing itself, swimming off with some of the line still attached. It went and joined its friends, but could be seen constantly fussing and pulling at the line caught around its body.
Some local women were passing by, and I was so pleased to be met with very great support to help out the swan from them. I was greatly encouraged by them, along with another passerby, to get into the lake and catch that swan. It was quickly discovered that our swan could just swim away from us, and was not going to let itself get caught just like that.
After this unsuccessful first rescue attempt, the swan was left for the night. Locals turned up to the boardwalk again in the morning, having made many calls out to people and organisations that might be able to help. My new local friend informed me that our swan was all alone in the same spot that morning, so it would appear she was the only one of the group who could not fly, and also that help was on its way. Whilst waiting for the help to arrive, the swans had all unhelpfully regrouped, and all began fussing and grooming themselves, making it impossible to pick out our swan from the rest.
Two wonderful people from Tura Beach WIRES then came with kayaks, and paddled out among the group of swans. In the meantime I had waded out into the sludge to cut what remained of the fishing line which was still taut between some posts and posing another likely swan disaster. And by waded I mean squelched, and squished, and my shoes came up looking like a deepwater dredge, encrusted with weed and shells after I stuck my arm in and pulled them up from the deep mud-holes where my feet had left them.
On their kayaks, the WIRES pair rowed out after the swans to the other side of the lake, where it could be observed they had successfully identified our swan, and cleverly isolated it from the others. The chase was on, and a huge attempt at corralling the flightless swan back to waiting swan-catchers was made, and It looked like success was imminent, but our swan was just too cheeky. Almost at the shore, and after seeming it was going to escape first this way and then that way, it shot right through the middle of the two exhausted kayakers to its freedom.
Nevertheless, the ground rescue support team (one local, myself and my young daughter) were full of admiration and respect for the Tura beach WIRES team. Getting a motorised boat was discussed, but the lake is too shallow all the way across, so we didn't know what to do anymore at that point.
All people involved were thanking each other, so pleased to be in the company of others who wanted to help out a swan on a quiet Australia Day public holiday morning.
Apparently, there are No WIRES volunteers currently in Eden.
Nor are there any advisory signs, or fishing line bins, for the local fishers around Lake Curalo.
To find out what happens with our swan friend next, stay posted.
Update: A happy ending was not what I expected, but that is what our swan has received. Apparently the swan has relieved itself of the fishing line somehow by itself. Anyone who knows about saving animals from fishing line and other plastic rubbish will know this is an unexpectedly good outcome. You may think the "Miracle of Lake Curalo" is too much of a descriptive for this little story, but the swan would disagree with you.
