SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s resident dugong, Wuru, today celebrated Christmas early as she indulged in an edible Christmas tree constructed entirely from her favourite food – lettuce leaves. Pig and Wuru are two of only six dugongs on display anywhere in the world.
The cos lettuce leaves replicate the sole food dugongs consume in their natural environment – seagrass; and between the two of them, they consume up to 1,500kg of iceberg lettuce leaves a week – totaling up to $140,400 worth of lettuce a year.
Weighing in at around 3kg, the tree was constructed by a variety of sizes of cos lettuce leaves and involved two SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium team members threading lettuce for over four hours. To top it off, the impressive edible sculpture was adorned with festive baubles made of apples.
Under the close supervision and care of Andrew Barnes, Dugong Keeper, both Pig and Wuru have been transitioning smoothly back into their new home, Dugong Island, which was refurbished as part of a 9 month, $10M overhaul that saw the attraction relaunch as SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium this September.
Andrew Barnes, Dugong Keeper at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium commented: “While it may seem rather dull in comparison to an indulgent, brandy-soaked fruit cake, our dugongs certainly love their cos lettuce leaves, and so we couldn’t think of anything more suitable than a lettuce tree this Christmas”.
Listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), both Pig and Wuru were orphaned in the wild in QLD, arrived in 2008 and took up residence in a purpose-built exhibit. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium actively contributes to dugong research and supports the University of Queensland with their annual assessment of the health of wild dugong populations.
The animals’ spectacular new home has a viewing platform from above, which allows guests to view Pig, Wuru and the other residents of Dugong Island from above sea-level. Much like SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium’s other grand Oceanarium Shark Valley; Dugong Island contains an ocean-tunnel walkthrough that delves deep into the underwater world, giving visitors the chance to come face-to-fin with these beautiful, friendly creatures of the sea.
Located in the heart of Sydney at Darling Harbour, visitors to the recently refurbished SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium will be taken on a journey of amazing discovery through 14 newly-themed areas, including the new Shark Walk,Tropical Bay of Rays, Discovery Rockpool, Mangrove Swamps, South Coast Shipwreck, Dugong Island and the stunning new ocean tunnel walk-through, Shark Valley.
For more information on the newly relaunched SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, please visit: www.sydneyaquarium.com.au
What: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour (right next door to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and Madame Tussauds Sydney)
Opening hours: 9am – 8pm daily. Last admission 7pm
Cost: Walk-up price – Adults: $36, Children (4-15yrs): $20
For the best value, combine SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium with a pick and mix of your other favourite Sydney attractions including WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye and Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary. The more you see, the more you save.
Comments
Post a Comment