A fishy tale from Dunipace

No, these brave young boys and girls hadn’t travelled to the Great Barrier Reef, just taken a short journey to the SeaLife Centre at Loch Lomond.

A bus load of Cubs, young leaders and a Scout from the 9th Dunipace pack joined the 100th birthday celebrations as the last big treat of,what has been a spectacular year.

After being met by sleepover host Karen, group was given a tour of the centre and filled in on some amazing facts.

Cub leader Jillian Patton said: “My Cubs were amazed to find out that rays lived in our waters and were fascinated by thornback rays as they seemed to fly around the tanks, splashing the Cubs as they went by.

“They were slightly disappointed they were not as deadly as the mantra rays but immediately perked up as soon as they saw the sharks. They caused quite a stir coming close to the glass.

“They also found out that the shark with the hammer head, wasn’t a hammerhead, confusing but true, but a bonehead shark.

“They met Cami, a large green sea turtle, who had to be rescued after eating plastic bags and they were shown how the bags look like turtle’s favourite food, jellyfish, when in the water, so are now on a mission to persuade family and friends to give them up.

“Cami spent a lot of time coming down to watch us in her tank, not sure who found who more interesting, Cami or the Cubs.”

The cubs also loved the smelly otters and their noses found them first at Karen’s suggestion that they followed them. Jillian said they were very lucky to find the whole family out in the morning crying to be fed and could see some similarities in them to her Cubs; they were not smelly but hungry too.

On their way round they found not only Dory, but Nemo and family as well as some beautifully coloured fish with the Cubs pressing close to the tank glass to admire them only to be told they were all venomous.

Jillian added: “We visited some coldwater tanks next. Then we were face to face with some fish, we were all more used to seeing with our chips.

‘‘The cod were huge and all my cubs were very surprised at just how big they could grow, although not so sure about fish suppers anymore.

“We then got to choose where we slept for the night, some dicing with danger and sleeping in the shark tunnel, but others choosing to sleep near Cami the Turtle and the huge grouper fish.”

The evening ended with hot dogs, popcorn and a screening of the BFG.

After breakfast with the sharks, otters and fish and a very big thank you to Karen it was back to the landlocked realm of Dunipace.