Bright sunlight bounced off the crystal blue water as Jayni and Lizzy skipped down the boat dock. Jayni fell behind when a school of tiny, glittery fish caught her eye.
“Jayni, it’s time to gear up!” called Lizzy. Jayni jogged to catch up with her friend.
“This is going to be the best day ever!” exclaimed Jayni as they tried on masks and fins for their snorkeling trip. “I hope we see a shark!”
Jayni and Lizzy boarded the Al’s Tugboat Tours boat. They sailed out into deep blue waters toward the Great Barrier Reef, which is made up of more than 2,900 coral reef systems and stretches 1,400 miles long.
“The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism visible from outer space,” their captain shared.
“No way, that’s incredible!” said Lizzy, making a note in her travel diary. Looking over the side of the boat, Jayni and Lizzy could see schools of fish that looked like a moving rainbow in bright orange, yellow, purple and shimmering silver.
They finally reached their snorkeling spot, and the captain dropped an anchor to keep the boat in place. Jayni and Lizzy put on masks, fins, inflatable vests and snorkels and jumped into the warm ocean water. When they looked at the underwater world through their masks, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
They saw fish of all colors, shapes and sizes, starfish squirming in the sand, swaying coral, clear jellyfish and even a baby seahorse. Jayni was certain she saw a saber-toothed shark from a distance. Can that be?*
Tired out but also excited about all the sea creatures, they climbed a ladder onto the boat, removed their gear and started planning their next adventure.
“Lizzy, let’s dry off and head over to visit the kangaroos,” said Jayni.
“Yes! I think kangaroos are one of the most interesting animals. And not just because they have built-in pockets,” said Lizzy.
Back on land at the Wild Roo Adventure Park they learned:
• There are four different kangaroo species: the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo and antilopine kangaroo.
• Kangaroos can hop around quickly on two legs or walk around slowly on all four. They can also jump up to three times their height!
• Kangaroos aren’t just jumpers. They also can swim.
• Young kangaroos are called “joeys.” “Don’t you think it’s only fair that they call young female kangaroos ‘janeys’?” asked Lizzy.
“Yes, I completely agree,” Jayni replied while hopping down the trail kangaroo-style.
Can you guess the country Jayni and Lizzy are visiting?
Unscramble these letters to find out:
*They wouldn’t find a speartooth shark in the salty ocean. The speartooth shark likes fresh Did you know this country is also a continent and has the most kangaroos of any place in the world?
water, and lives in the Australian waters.
