Wednesday 21st June - solstice is tomorrow! get ready! We are also celebrating the departure of the jellies!
Wonderful Wednesday brought one of the coldest mornings this year with the mercury dropping to below zero! The water, however was delightfully tropical in comparison at 16.3 degrees!
water temp: 16.3
air temp at 7:00 MINUS 1.4 degrees
conditions - Lake Manly continues, clear, calm and it seems like the jellies have commenced their "grande departe" to continue their "tour de ocean" elsewhere!
with all the joviality about jellies.... this week has been like a Masterchef mystery box of jellies. I had no idea the "comb jelly" family had so many varieties! many photos have been posted with the correct scientific names (thanks Lainey & others who have posted correct names below photos!!), However, did you know that some have bioluminescent properties? If you are an early bird, and head to the bower before dawn you may be lucky to see the beauty of the jellies!
Although most of the jellies are graceful and gross blobs of goo, some jimbles clearly decided it was a masquerade party & infiltrated the "Slaps" (I think perhaps "SALP" was a mis-spelling?) judging by all the stings on various parts of our wetsuit-less bodies (for those of us brave or stupid enough to continue the WWW quest!)
The jellies may have gone however the memories will last a lifetime.... so could we have made use of the jellies? Like the masterchef mystery box challenges, or the Iron chef creativity challenges (who remembers Iron Chef?)?
Gemma, Vikki and Clare - Gemma and Vikki met Clare at Lady Eliott Island last week whilst undertaking a free diving course in 23 degree water! today was the first cabbage tree bay Bold & beautiful swim for Gemma and Vikki - and I am so glad they experienced paradise today! They feel the best use of the jellies was to practice boxing, using them as punching bags (please dont tell greenpeace!)
Fiona and Jan - decided that jellyfish would make useful implants, Fi noted that she absolutely needs them!
Kirsty, Dave and our fabulous artist Georgina - think jellyfish would be useful as floatation in a warm bath, in a salad or as turtle treats!
Lainey suggested that Jellies are used as Christmas lights, taking advantage of their bioluminescent properties. Kate saw a cuttlefish nervously venturing out into the Bay to ensure there were no dolphins, however a real life "dolphin" Leanne was in the bay training on the boards and agreed that jellies would make great implants! Kate didn't know if cuttlefish like eating jellies, perhaps its the other way around?
Jill, Ruth (breakaway Drinks express, as they swim at 7! - they have yet to determine a more creative name although a few were bounced around today!), Drinks and Brendan all wonder why jellies were ever on this planet!
Mer people (davina, Simone, kath, sue, ian, sally, Kate, Petra, Chris & rob) resembling a line of rugged up king penguins keeping warm after another WWW swim : for Sue, Chris and Rob the very thought of swimming sans wetsuit is enough to shudder, and that was before cold water immersion and the endorphin release! They feel that the jellies would make lovely warm bubble tea, or be used as a weapon. Chance the labrador wonders why he cant eat them!
Some final words directed at all swimmers who are slowly getting through WWW or who are thinking about it - as the mercury drops it is sooo tempting to 1) stay coccooned in our doonas, or 2) stay out of the water or 3) wear a wetsuit - my encouragement is to keep at it! 3 years ago most the mer-people were swimming in the warmest wetsuits Orca sold (in my case the 3.8 enduro, thermal booties, thermal gloves and a thermal cap). We were inspired by our Mer-friends who swam the entire year without wrenching on (and off) a wetsuit - the key is to keep at it - think of the endorphins, the joy, the euphoria, and, ALL the other benefits of swimming in cold water, including the infusing magnesium naturally from the ocean every single swim, for those who like me have trouble relaxing and sleeping, it helps release stress, relax your muscles, promote deep sleep and, if you are spiritually minded, apparently it cleanses your aura!
Stay warm, stay kind, look out for and after each other and have a WONDERFUL Wednesday, and for those joining the solstice swim, hoping the jellies have ALL exited the bay !
Jocelyn
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