One of my old blogs I've rehashed as we were short of a blogger today!
We are so lucky to be able to swim, snorkel and play in this amazing Marine Park, Cabbage Tree Bay! The area is marked on the map below and stretches from Manly Surf Club out towards The Bower surf break and includes Shelly Beach. Since it was declared a 'No Take Aquatic Reserve' in 2002, fish have returned and it is thriving with marine creatures! It is a safe haven for a huge variety of aquatic wildlife. It is so unique to see all this close to a capital city, Sydney. There really is no place in the world like Manly!
When I was out in the middle of the bay one morning Kerry Jukes mentioned how in Africa they talk about the 'Big Five'.The "Big 5" refers to the African: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo. She came up with the idea that in Cabbage Tree Bay we could say we have the 'Big 5' . In the last 2 weeks many of us have swam with the Dusky Whaler, Blue Groper, Wobbegong, Eagle Ray and Turtle!
(Of course we know that it could be the 'Big 8' as we have also, at other times swam close to a Southern Right Whale, Dolphin and Giant Cuttlefish!) The Giant Cuttlefish usually appear in Autumn, so around now! I'm going to include them in my 'Big Five' as they are incredible to see! Lots of photos, videos and info below about our 'Big 5' and I'm talking about theDusky Whaler, Blue Groper, Wobbegong, Green Turtle and Giant Cuttlefish!
Dusky Whalers are harmless creatures that swim away quickly when they notice swimmers, like this one. This Autumn they have been swimming in shallower waters closer to the rocks so we have often got to see them quite close up.
The Dusky Whaler is found in tropical and warm temperate waters. It can grow to 3.65 metres in length. The ones we see in CTB are classed as 'juveniles' and are usually 1-2 m in length. The long pointed snout, long pectoral fins and serrated teeth do make them look quite scary but don't worry they aren't interested in humans. They feed on bony fishes, other sharks but also eat crustaceans and cephalopods. (The Cuttlefish we see are cephalopods, hopefully they aren't eating all of those!)
Here is a short video I took with 3 Dusky Whalers appearing in quick succession!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdkONAHd9oY
In my 'Big 5' of Cabbage Tree Bay I'm going to include the Eastern Blue Groper as this beautiful fish is seen throughout the year by swimmers, snorkelers and divers. It is quite exciting seeing the flash of bright blue swim beneath you or to watch a large one chomping away on a sea urchin. There are a couple around The Bower surf break that are used to humans and get up really close, like this one above.
Don't you just love those lips?! The Eastern Blue Groper is a type of wrasse and lives in shallow coastal waters around reefs from southern Queensland to Wilson's promontory, Victoria. Juveniles are brown to green brown and are all female. It's the adult males that are the bright blue colour, adult females are brown to reddish brown. They can grow to 1.2m in length. More info here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_groper
The Wobbegong we often see above, is the spotted Wobbegong with the pattern of white rings and dark saddles on a yellow to greenish-brown background. They can grow up to 3m in length and occur from Southern Queensland to south western Western Australia. They are possibly endemic to Australia. They feed mainly at night upon fish, crayfish, crabs and octopus. Wobbegong is an Aboriginal name and they are sometimes called a 'Carpet Shark'.
Wobbegongs swim quite slowly and don't shoot away like Dusky Whalers. 'Sparkles', pictured above is a speedy swimmer and managed to swim quite close to this one, which gives us an idea of it's size! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wobbegong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wobbegong
This is 'Shelly' the Green Turtle before she was taken to Manly Sea Life Sanctuary for rehabilitation.
The green turtle is a large, weighty sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world.
It is named not for the colour of its shell, which is normally brown or olive depending on its habitat, but for the greenish colour of its skin.
This is Shelly a few months later with the tracker on his back.
Click on link below to see my video of Shelly swimming to the surface of the water for air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUh7sapThkk
So this is the incredible Giant Cuttlefish. To quote from The Australian Museum website...
'This species is the largest of all the cuttlefish and an expert at colour change and camouflage. They can change colour in an instant, and by raising parts of their skin, they can also change shape and texture to imitate rock, sand or seaweed. These displays have various interpretations to other marine creatures and may be used for camouflage, mating or even hypnotising prey.'
Click on the link below to see a short video I took a few years ago of a Cuttlefish swimming. You can see how it changes colour and texture as it swims over rocks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cXOvpzfYpM
A reminder: The Bold &Beautiful swim has been suspended until further notice.
If you are out and about at this time, please take care, be safe and adhere to recommended guidelines.
Summer Badges
We are aware that some people missed out on their hard-earned summer badges last weekend. Assuming that it is safe and legal to do so, Anne and Ian will be at the benches from 8 until 8.30 am on Saturday so that you can purchase your badges. Please bring the correct money and maintain personal distancing protocols.
Note that, it is OK to log your swims while the B&B is suspended, but there will be no badges awarded while the suspension applies. This will affect the winter badges if (as appears likely) the suspension is not lifted by the end of winter.
B&B Blog
In an effort to keep you engaged during this difficult time our blogging team want to hear from you. Our bloggers have free reign during this time, so if you have photos or anything interesting to share, you can send it to our bloggers at [email protected]. Show us how you are spending your time in isolation. What is your favourite B&B memory or photo? Tell us why you love the group so much. We will share your stories and photos on the blog over the coming months. Please show your appreciation of our blogging team by commenting at the bottom of the blog. It is also possible that, in these difficult times, you have a need that someone in the B&B community may be able to fulfil (eg do you need somewhere to live, are you isolated and need help with shopping, or have you run out of toilet paper?). Feel free to ask in the comments at the bottom of the blog. Above all, stay safe.
Bluewater Cafe
Like all restaurants, Bluewater Cafe has had to limit its activities to takeaway only. I am informed however that they will still provide the B&B breakfast for you to takeaway. The new owners Jane and Kwan have continued to support the B&B so let's try and help them through this difficult time. Find more details on their current menu and operations on their Instagram page @bluewatercafemanly (Facebook page coming soon).
Check out B&B’s new T-shirt for summer (also available in white type)
Orders are available online along with all of our fun B&B merchandise at: https://www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/clothing.html
Wishing you all the very best at this time
Lainey
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