Reef walkers get close to marine life

Hedland residents interacted with turtles and octopuses last week as marine-life monitor Doris Teufel led a series of her highly regarded reef walks at Cemetery Beach and Cooke Point.

Unlike many other coastlines, Hedland's brilliantly coloured corals poke their heads above water when the shoreline experiences its lowest tides.

So rather than don a snorkelling kit, guests on Ms Tuefel's tours can simply walk along the reef to view sponges and hard corals, some believed to be up to 200 years old, as well as a host of animals ranging from sea slugs and snails to fish and eels.

Hedland resident Lila Bradshaw has been going on Ms Teufel's reef walks for the past year because she finds the experience relaxing and the corals beautiful.

Yet it is not always relaxing - the marine life on the reef is so abundant she has also experienced the odd shock.

"The other day I accidentally stepped on a turtle - I thought it was a rock," she said.

"The turtle didn't get hurt; it just gave me a shock when it shot up."

The latest guided walks come as the Town of Port Hedland pushes ahead with plans to build a multi-million dollar marina and waterfront development on the Spoilbank.

With town planners claiming the marina development will help revitalise the local tourism industry, Neville and Heather Watts, visiting from Ballarat in Victoria, gave their tick of approval to the reef as an exciting attraction, calling it "fantastic".

Yet it is not just tourists discovering its treasures.

Heather Blundell has lived in Hedland for 13 years and only stumbled upon last week's walk by chance. She joined members of the guided walk just in time to admire a visiting green turtle resting in the shallows.

"We were just walking along the beach and were wondering what you guys are doing out there," Ms Blundell said.

"It was an amazing experience; we don't know what is on our doorstep.

"I was surprised what was there with all the crabs and sea cucumbers and the eel - I wasn't even expecting to see coral."

Ms Teufel's next reef walks leave from Cemetery Beach on June 16 at 4pm, the Recreation Centre on June 17 at 4.30pm and Cooke Point Caravan Park on June 18 at 4.30pm.