It’s called a Snake Bird, and Australasian Darter, similar to the Anhinga that we see in Florida. We first spotted it from the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens as it swam submerged in the bay, looking like a small version of the Loch Ness Monster. Just its head and long neck protruded from the water, it’s body completely under water. When it had found its fill of dinner, it hopped out of the water onto a rocky outcrop and spread its wings to dry them off so it could fly. It took quite a while, late in the afternoon and not in direct sunlight so we got quite the show. It was especially fun to watch the waves crash behind it and frame its body.