After all these weeks of rain, murky water, wild seas, shark alarms and monstrous jellyfish...it's fantastic to have clearer water and fish sightings back again! I went for an afternoon swim yesterday and had a great interaction with a Cuttlefish at Shelly beach. It grabbed a large Luderick, rolled it and backed away with it before my eyes!
Lots of swimmers back for today's swim. Not quite like The Maldives as Simon said at 7am but a huge improvement!
Just a few photos of this morning's swim as I have to rush to work! It was warm, clearer but still murky with a few waves building up!
This was the Cuttlefish before he grabbed the Luderick yesterday afternoon.
As I have to rush off to work I've regurgitated one of my old blogs with lots of info and pics about the Cuttlefish below.
We are incredibly lucky to swim in this beautiful bay with such 'monsters of the deep' as the Giant Cuttlefish! Do you know they have green/blue blood and 3 hearts?? How weird is that?! And they are the largest of the world's 100 or so species of Cuttlefish. They can change colour and texture in split seconds. Small males also have a very sneaky way of mating...Find out below!
Using cells known as chromatours they can change colour in an instant and by raising parts of their skin they can change shape and texture to imitate rock, sand or seaweed.
They have 2 tentacles for feeding and if they are male 8 arms and if they are female 6. They have W shaped eyelids so they can see in front of them and behind at the same time!
Alyson with one a couple of years ago, trying to trick us to thinking he was seaweed!
This one has taken on a rock-like appearance on one side and seaweed colour on the other! They really are the 'chameleons of the sea'! Their spectacular displays are used for camouflage, mating or even hypnotising prey.
They belong to the family of cephalopods, the same as octopus and squid and are the most intelligent of all invertebrates! They can grow to about 1 metre long and weigh up to 10 kgs!
If you swim fast, 'wide' and away from the rocks and haven't see one, this might be why. Look how this Cuttlefish has changed colour and texture to imitate the sand as he speeds over it!
Now he's starting to look a bit more like the rocks!
As he approaches the weed he's changed again!
I took the above 4 photos in August 2013 and I'm sure they are of the same little fella' in many disguises!
Now the scene above is of their bizarre mating ritual. It involves a sneaky small male who pretends to be female. (The one on the right). Too small to fight for a female, a small male sidles up to a mating couple and pushes in 2 arms (remember females only have 6) to pretend to be female. The larger male thinks he's lucky to be getting two females but the small male moves in and mates with the female under the males tentacles!!
Click on the fantastic David Attenborough clip below to see a video of this sly way to get the ladies!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Australian_Giant_Cuttlefish#p005bpsl
And if you want to find out more about these weird captivating creatures another video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0NslgnSEtE
Couldn't resist 2 more photos. Aren't they just the weirdest and most alien-like creatures ever?!!! (Apart from Lips and Shauny of course ;-) )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDwOi7HpHtQ
2021 Summer Badge Ceremony – Sunday 27th March
You’ve done the hard yards and got your Summer Badge(s), now come and collect your badges with all the pomp and ceremony the B&B can muster. Bring along $10 for each badge you have earned (correct money appreciated). The ceremony will be held at the Royal Far West’s Centre for Country Kids at 14-18 Wentworth St (opposite Rialto Square) on Sunday 27th March, straight after the regular swim! Everyone is welcome, family, friends and swimmers alike.
A $5 per person donation will be payable to the RFW at the gate for hosting this event, and .... RFW will provide a FREE breakfast (sausage sandwich and a coffee/tea). Bookings are essential to ensure there is enough food. Book here NOW https://www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/2021-summer-badge-ceremony.html
All 2021 summer badge qualifiers will be presented with their well-earned badge(s), so whether you are getting one personally or you want to enjoy the celebrations of your fellow swimmers, a great morning is guaranteed so come along, soak up the atmosphere and get inspired for the upcoming winter badges...
To find out if you have qualified, go to the Daily View page on the Log-in site and click on the relevant badges. Or Click on the links below:
Lainey xx
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