OF THE SEA Super Stars

The revamped Tidal Touchpool at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast has had a renovation fit for the super stars that live there. Carlie Wacker dipped her hands in to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

- Jacques Cousteau

I find endless joy and curiosity in the sea and its inhabitants. After watching the 2020 film My Octopus Teacher, I became obsessed with all things tentacled and following my recent experience at the Tidal Touchpool at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast I am now on a journey to find out as much as I can about the spiky, fun and fascinating marine life that can be found in local tide pools on the coast.

There is a real buzz of excitement as you enter SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast at The Wharf Mooloolaba because the spell of the sea is real. The ocean is full of the most breathtaking life and this is the place you can get up close and personal with all types of unusual and wonderful aquatic animals.

The revamped Tidal Touchpool is where you can literally get hands-on with animals of the ocean under the guidance of a team of passionate marine education experts.

The new lighting, updated graphics and a camera allows a close-up view of the creatures; there is also helpful signage with fascinating facts and a new talk from the aquarium’s marine experts. Did you know that sea stars and sea urchins are part of the Phylum Echinodermata family and some of their characteristics are spiky skin and they don’t have a heart or brain?

The sea cucumber has soft spikes and feels a bit like a caterpillar; while the sea stars are much rougher and a bit like leather to touch. Even though I spend a lot of time in the ocean I have never had the chance to feel these creatures so the Tidal Touchpool experience is breathtaking.

The staff share their extensive knowledge as you meet and touch the thorny chocolate chip, pin cushion and blue sea stars plus sea urchins and cucumbers.

Even though these living creatures have no heart or brain they have some very impressive attributes that keep the human science world intrigued. For example, the starfish can lose an arm and regrow it (just like an octopus) but the sea star arm can successfully form into a whole new sea star. For both these reasons scientists continue to study this in the aim to replicate this limb generation in humans.

Sea stars can have 4 or 5 arms, some can have up to 20. They don’t have eyes, but they have eyespots at the end of each arm that can identify light and dark. Each arm has two rows of hundreds of sticky feet that allow them to travel but also stay secure and not be washed away.

Their mouth is underneath them and their anus is in the middle on the top (so best you stroke their arms only). They pump water instead of blood and are super smart. The colour and spiky appearance are important in their survival as it makes them look less tasty to predators and the blue sea star’s vibrant colour makes them appear poisonous.

There is so much to love about these quirky creatures. The marine experts at

SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast excitedly share their knowledge and the chance to immerse yourself in sea life is very special.

SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast have some kids Beneath the Tide activity sheets to help them uncover more of the wonders of marine life but it’s definitely not just for kids – this is something for everyone to experience. Go get your hands wet and meet these super stars of the sea!

SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast is open Thursday – Monday from 9am – 3pm (last entry 2pm) outside of QLD school holidays. During school holidays, SEA LIFE is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm (last entry at 4pm). All visitors must pre-book their tickets online in advance. Visit www.sealifesunshinecoast.com.au

To go in the draw to win one of 5 family passes valued at $150 each, head to www.hellosunshinemag.com.au and subscribe to our newsletter or scan the QR code.

Steve Jobs once said “our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Have the courage to follow your heart.” Hamilton Island Air’s Brad Graves took it literally when he ignored the naysayers and revealed ambitious, plans for Heart Reef.

“Despite innumerable requests to visit Heart Island, we still have to explain it’s not an island it’s a reef,” Brad said. “And how do we protect the boat and the reef? Ultimately I commissioned an upmarket boat shed with a helicopter landing pad on top.”

But it was never going to be easy.

“It was all about contractors, aviation crews and inspectors ensuring Heart Reef and environs, met rigorous environmental conditions to maintain this part of the Great Barrier Reef for future generations.”

Finally, after hiccups and heartburn, millions of dollars and eight of the ten years in the making, Brad’s big dream of turning the boat shed into ‘Heart Island’ a reality - and we had to try it.

After taking off from Hamilton Island Airport it was up, up, and away, rising, dipping, and floating in his six-passenger Airbus H125 helicopter for 30-minutes over the dazzling 7km-long white sand strip of Whitehaven; the azure waters of the Whitsundays Islands and the dark blue deep-water channel between Hook Reef and Hardy Reef. Seeing the white outline of Heart Reef, floating in a blue lagoon just below was the ultimate breathtaking moment. For now.

Brad touches down on the upper deck of the Heart Island pontoon. Solar and wind power have automatically retracted the anti-bird-spikes, and as quick as you can say ‘shazam’, a roof hatch rises to reveal stairs down to a deck with a sumptuous fit-out akin to a classy yacht.

A customised futuristic-looking glass-bottom boat, someone likened to a Monte Carlo plaything, seemingly appears then slides away to the outer deck, leaving a swimming pool.

After checking out the underwater wonderland through the glass, it is time to jump into the luminescent water, snorkel around and discover a minuscule coral bommie hidden in the centre of this naturally occurring heart-shaped reef.

Eyeball some of the world’s most treasured underwater creatures including 1,635 fish species, such as a two-metre giant Maori wrasse as well as parrotfish, grouper, jellyfish, reef sharks, barracuda, sea anemones, sea urchins, starfish, more than 600 different types of multicoloured coral and beautiful turtles hovering and eating algae, before shooting to the surface for a breath of air and descending again.

After much ogling, ‘talking’ and gesturing whilst marvelling at the grandeur of life-aquatic, it was time to take a last snorkel around the lagoons near Heart Reef before reboarding and drying off with a celebratory glass of sparkling in hand. Of course.

More dips and turns on our return as pilot Brad makes sure we have every postcard moment of the Whitsundays in the can.

The Heart Island experience, which takes three hours and includes 90-minutes all to ourselves in this most isolated part of the Great Barrier Reef, has been likened to a James Bond location. Fittingly so.

Above all, it is an unrivalled world-class experience.

If You Go

Did you know that in 1975 pilot John Ramsden took a photograph of the tiny coral formation and it became a global romantic icon known as Heart Reef?

The Heart Island Experience is exclusive, exhilarating, intimate, unique, and only accessible by helicopter. After a glorious aerial journey over the Great Barrier Reef, land on a private pontoon moored in Hardy Lagoon for a glass-bottom boat tour and snorkel around Heart Reef.

The whole encounter takes three hours, is limited to six passengers. The water temperature even in mid-winter is a delightful 20 degrees Celsius.

Visit: www.hamiltonislandair.com