Pacific Jules

19/05/2020 - Turtles and Cuttlefish

There's nothing like coming across a Turtle whilst your swimming and watching it slowly swim to the water surface to get a breath of air. It's a wonder of nature with it's patterned hard shell, cute little flippers, scrawny neck and entrancing eyes! I had a great encounter yesterday and called over a few other swimmers. Today we were lucky enough to see another favourite, the Giant Cuttlefish!

This one swam around happily at The Point unfazed by swimmers. Aren't they wonderful creatures with their 'w' shaped eyes, ability to change colour and texture and propel themselves forwards and backwards? This one changed from various shades of orange and brown to purple and pink hues...

Conditions were great again today. It was calm, clear and warm with water around 19 degrees. Sooo many schools of Yellowtail, Mados, Luderick, Hulafish and Mullet to name a few!

Sarah and Tash did an early swim and loved swimming with the sunrise...

When I asked Duncan and his mates to describe the swim, they just said "Magic".

Derek was happy to have his daughter Giselle, swimming with us today...and she saw the Cuttlefish!

Annie (early swimmer) and Dave(7.10am) cross paths...

Moments of awe and wonder as a swimming Fiddler Ray and Cuttlefish swim over the rocks close to us...

Sam and the Cuttlefish

A very bright Blue Groper at halfway too.

Back for socially distanced coffee and I came across 'Brave Kara', Ian and friends. Kara got stung by something which wasn't a Bluebottle or Jimble yesterday. She said it was extremely painful and has left marks which look like cigarette burns. Anita got the same sting too. Any ideas anyone?

I wondered if it could have been this cute thing I saw yesterday but we can't be sure...

Below is a video of the Turtle coming for air yesterday

https://www.facebook.com/elaine.dejager/videos/pcb.2989438627757837/10214132424618563/?type=3&theater&ifg=1

 

Another photo of yesterday's Turtle

Gayle swimming with a big fish!

We've had a few Turtles in Cabbage Tree Bay over the years. The most famous being'Shelly' the Green Turtle . Here he is before he was taken to Manly Sea Life Sanctuary for rehabilitation. (The Turtle rescued recently is Ella and she had consumed a balloon and long balloon string :-( Apparently she is recovering well though...)

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

Have a great day folks!

Lainey

 

 

Mon 18th: Dystopian Imbroglio

--------

Travel Restrictions remain in place.  Don't do this sort of stuff:

---------------------

Social distancing restrictions are easing,  but don't go doing this sort of stuff:

------------

Injuries: Kara

--------

Birthdays: Ekat ... and Gemma Piper

18/05/2020 - stellar sunrise

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING INSIDE AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

Sublime autumn conditions this morning, this is the ocean when I arrived at about 6:20am. The bright light in the water near the point turned out to be a group doing a 10km swim.

Pre-sunrise clouds with a nice orange glow.

I like this shot because it shows the easy swim we had around the point, and plenty of surfers out catching some early waves.

Credit to my daughter for the panoramic shots, and in fact any of the better photos in this morning's blog!

Here's some 7am swimmers heading down the ramp, joining a very small group. 

The view looking north along the beaches.

Water was warm, felt about 19 point something to me. What a great way to start the day. And great conditions for the 10km swimmers, I'm guessing they're back now after a visit to Curl Curl.

Surf's up!

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING INSIDE AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

 

Well it was a chilly and grey morning today with some significant swell happening on a low tide. Meant it might be an interesting entry to the bay. 

David was meditating with Caroline, part of an initiative "Making Meditation Mainstream", free every Saturday from 6.30am to 6.50am.

I battled through the surf with a couple of quasi dumps and gladly landed at the point behind the breaking waves. These two men enjoyed the challenge and were looking forward to returning back through the surf. Remember beach is closed, if you're not confident or don't feel safe, take the halfway option like I did to return and alot of others did too.

The sun rising is always pretty

I saw hardly any marine life. Jenny saw a fiddler ray but I was behind, there were some fish, but nothing really remarkable. Temperature was nice and just a bit bumpy in the bay. At Shelly I saw Shaun and Leveena who happily posed with Jenny.

I saw a lovely rainbow on arrival to halfway

As I tripped my way over rocks to exit at halfway , Alan was making his way in, almost as hesitantly.

Some shots of the surf from the point. Surfers and swimmers mixing together.

Two friends entering the water together

Post meditation time on the wall

Jon and Nick full of smiles and energy for a swim

Happy swimming everyone, stay safe.

Friday 15 May 2020 Do what you can

The group is not swimming as a group but members are able to swim as permitted and in accordance with the Public Health Orders. Be mindful that the killer virus is still out there so keep up the right conduct. 

I swam midday today because it suited me AND BECAUSE I am hoping to encounter that  evasive turtle. It evaded me and a diver I asked told me that it had been spotted in the morning. Say what?!

The sky was grey, there were some waves, there were swimmers but there were more surfers. A delight. On arrival I spotted some swimming beauties

The sea was another beauty to behold

Nice to see another swimmer out near the point

 

Have a great day and be careful with the relaxing of the restrictions. 

I have been reading lots (while not acting on my plans to get very fit). I am looking for recommendations always. Currently finishing a couple of books by Ragnar Jonasson, the Island and The Mist. They are set in Iceland and are adequate to pass the time

 

 

 

Happy Hump Day

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING INSIDE AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

The day started like this for me:

So absolutely beautiful, I'd never regret rising early when the sunrise is that spectacular.

Lovely to see Elaine and Jenny before I started my swim. They were swimming seperately but posed together for me.

Wasn't long before I saw Nick at the point, each of us discussing what we wanted to see in the bay:

Conditions have been perfect of late, almost glassy water , crystal clear and loads of fish and marine life to see.   Water is a lovely 19.1 degrees, toasty compared to the air temperature early in the morning.

Heres'a few shots of what I saw on the scenic route:

Then I had the delight of seeing Guy after many months, having a chin wag with Roz, nice to see people stopping for a quick catch up , as they pass each other by:

The end of the swim looked like this:

Hopefully the rest of the day is as good as the beginning for some. I heard a whisper about an early swimmer who, on the way to the swim, came across a bike accident, pushbike v's car, and stopped to help. Bravo to the swimmer/swimmers who stopped to help, and may you have the kind gesture returned to you one day. Makes a huge difference having a stranger stop what they're doing and offer help and support to an injured person. Speaking from personal experience there, I've always appreciated people helping me in moments of need and then paid it forward another day in another way. It also provides a clear story for the emergency services. 

12/05/2020 - In Praise of the Little Fish

Stunning conditions today! Calm, clear and plenty of fish. You could see the ocean floor all the way across and the water was teeming with schools of  small fish. Mados and Pomfred mingle together here!

Another beautiful sunrise. The air was a bit fresh though at 11 degrees! Water temp 18 degrees.

Early swimmers...

Dave comes in from his early swim

and so does Jim

Good mates Jeff and Rusty pre-swim. Hello to Rusty's Mum who reads the blog in England every day! As does my Dad, Hello Trevor!

Heather, Pammy and Kate, above and below the water

Lovely Friday blogger, Elizabeth (I actually took the above 3 photos yesterday but all the rest from today).

Hula fish

Loads of Old Wives today!

Lots of Luderick feasting on salp on the water surface. Here is Michael amongst it all!

The scariest creature I often see is the Kingfish chasing Yellowtail...

See how clear!

Post-swim I tried not to 'congregate' but caught up with these lovely people who tried to socially distance unless they are in their 'bubble'

John and Christine

Penny and Peter

Gemma and Dave aren't in a bubble ;-)

I caught an ex politician with his pants down ;-)

Have an amazing day everyone! Just remembered it's International Nurses Day. Thank you to all our nurses including Lyndal, Helen, Jac, Cath, nurse now Dr... Michele and anyone I've missed :-)

love Lainey :-)

 

 

For the mumma bears of the swim. Sunday 10th May 2020

The Sunday blog, with thanks to all the mums of the BnB

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING INSIDE AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

 

mumma elephant and baby

Despite rumours to the contrary, social distancing continues as does our love of all things marine

Bold and Beautiful is still suspended

Pools are closed. Eastern Suburbs beaches have been closed on and off. 

The surf can be unpredictable (not my photo)

Surf club members continue to train and we and they must give each other space, remembering that they often come to the aid of swimmers in trouble in the water

So people who are not regulars are flocking to Manly and Cabbage Tree Bay and who can blame them?

There was a conspicuous police presence here today and yesterday. Yesterday I asked a very pleasant policewoman what they were measuring and it's the time between when people leave the water and when they leave the beach. I didn't get to talk to them today, but from the water I did see them talking to the people congregated at the rocks near the yellow shed, telling them to move on.

I did manage to ask 2 of the lifeguards, (one being the lifeguard coordinator) if any swimmers had abused them and both gave the same response (I spoke to them separately). The response was no and that their opinion was that people on the beach had generally been pretty well behaved and that Manly was a good example of a well managed beach and people doing the right thing.

This is a really good response considering the restrictions and conditions and influx of non regulars. We are doing the right thing, need to keep doing it and take comfort in the knowledge that This Too Shall Pass.

Enough of the soap box. Our restrictions have been nothing compared to the lockdown across the ditch. My sister lives in Auckland and had her first day at the beach today. This is Muriwai which can be a notoriously dangerous and sharky beach.

And now for something completely different. I've been to the city! For a chiro appointment I hasten to add. In what is normally peak hour the CBD looked like a gost town.

Back in CTB the conditions have been OK, and the later sunrise and autumn light afford some lovely photo opportunities.

Has anyone seen the flutemouth change colours before their eyes? We did today but it happened so fast I couldn't capture it.

We never tire of these

Social distancing in the water - that's how it's done (the people who look close actually are not - one is in front of the other)

A close up of the seagrass near the beach

No stats but water temps are dropping. 19 or so, waddayareckon?

What am I listening to? A wonderful interview right now - Spectacle: Elvis Costello interview with Lou Reed - google it if interested.

But yesterday I started listening to a new album by Truckstop Honeymoon. This is Momma Don't Know Your Name. Tomorrow is Mothers Day. Have a great day with your Mum and if you don't have her any more, remember her her fondly.

 

Enjoy your weened, stay safe and healthy

Friday 8 May 2020 Eternal sea

Bold and Beautiful swim group is suspended

But the sea is there and lots of people are going for exercise. Pools are closed and swimming is an extremely enjoyable exercise which can be done in the sea. While there are many, they are mindful of the restrictions and space apart, for the most part. I was overtaken by one swim squad three plus times as they put in their training. Very very fast. I wonder if there will be new fans of BB. I do look forward to when we go as a group again only from the perspective of instituting order. Fixed start times and general same direction. 

What is also eternal is the sense of well being that a swimmer has on getting out of the water. 

 

Out in the water there was a light sense of waves and it was reasonably clear

Selfie of me where I like to be

What I have been reading

Fleischman is in Trouble. It is a New York best seller. It was reviewed as being like Franzens The Corrections. It is. but in reading it I remembered that the broad ranging descriptions of family members and relationships they had were complicated bu not interesting. Like this book in which Toby's wife disappears after they separate leaving him to retell their meeting, his childhood, their friends, her ambitions for career etc. Also not compelling reading. 

Also WIlliam Shaw police procedural books in order - I am only up to the second one. They are set in the 1960s in London and the backdrop is interesting. Quick and satisfactory reads.