VIDEO: It's mating season and spotting platypus is a game

Check out these playful creatures at Eungella and read our top tips for spotting them

FIRST the bubbles rise to the surface in the still water.

Then, through the muddy cloud beneath the sheer veneer, they wiggle up to take a breath.

After sitting flat on the surface for anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute, the platypus scoots back down.

The cloud continues to grow as the platypus scurries along the bottom for food.

And before you know it, the bubbles rise and mammal emerges to take another breath.

The joy every time they rise is felt among the patient onlookers.

It's the kind of happiness and stress relief we all need right now.

Platypus swimming at Broken River, Eungella in July 2020. . Picture: Rae Wilson

TOP TIPS FOR SPOTTING PLATYPUS

• Be silent
• Don't move around too much
• Watch for bubbles just before the platypus rise to the surface
• Best times are around dawn (4-8am) and dusk (3-7pm)
• Mating season runs from July to September so they are now active throughout the day (80 per cent chance you'll see them now)

• During mating season, you'll see two of them chasing each other or mating
• Rain can mean water clarity drops but reduced sun reflection can help with spotting
• Watch for schools of little fish that follow platypus around
• Watch for kingfishers and other birds waiting for platypus to let food go when they rise

Originally published as VIDEO: It's mating season and spotting platypus is a game