Weedy Seadragon Breeding Season Arrives
Late Spring and Early Summer are the best times to see the male Weedy Seadragons carrying their eggs. Join us on tour and enjoy this unique spectacle!
Weedy Seadragons Overview
Breeding season for the colourful and ornate Weedy Seadragon has begun.
These enchanting sea creatures grow up to 45cm long and amongst the natural reef vegetation find safety through their camouflage, shape and swimming behaviour that so accurately reflects their environment.
Now is the time to view the males as they carry anywhere up to 250 eggs on their tails.
In about eight weeks we could expect to see the young hatching. They’ll take another year to mature but won’t begin to breed until their second year when they’re fully mature.
The cooler temperature waters certainly intrigue us on tour every day with these mystical examples of other worldly marine life.
Images captured on Nikon compact underwater camera by your RIB Pilot and Host, @marlon_quinn .
Citizen Science – Dragon Quest
We can all help the VNPA and the ReefWatch crew by supporting the Dragon Quest programme. Simply by submitting your images of the Weedy Seadragons we see during a tour, you may even have one named after you!
To help better determine the population and health of the unique Weedy Seadragons that call our local waters home, the VNPA are cataloguing each individual submitted, to record the sighting and location of these wonderful marine animals.
By submitting the information you will be helping to preserve and protect these animals, which happen to be our Victorian state marine emblem.
Please remember that the Weedy Seadragons are protected under Commonwealth Law (1999) so please no harming or handling of them at any time.
WaterMaarq is a keen member of the VNPA (join here) and we’ve submitted our latest images to Kade Mills, ReefWatch Coordinator, and we look forward to seeing yours too!
Learn more about the VNPA’s Dragon Quest project here and submit your images too.
