Sandbagged

Autumn arrives

Just in case you were wondering why there was no post of my underwater adventures last weekend. I did head out but despite the water looking calm, underneath it was a whole other story. There had been some strong winds and swells, up to 4m, in Geographe Bay and the outcome being there was very poor visibility. Weed was floating everywhere. I wasn’t sure if it was worth staying out, but I preserved consciously keeping a bit closer to shore than I would normally. I knew I wouldn’t see anything it did however feel nice to have had a dip:

Yesterday, having been two weeks since I have had any new underwater discoveries I was keen to get out. The weekend also happened to be a three day one with Monday being a public holiday. The swell had been lower all week so I was hopeful and even better it was looking flat when I wandered down in the morning. I noticed a dark shape bobbing about just off shore, which was a dead Sea Hare. I’ve only once come across one of these alive, unfortunately I don’t have the images from that dive in a post to show you but they are very graceful creatures:

The problem with Sea Hares is that they are poisonous to dogs, and this one was heading to shore on a public holiday when the caravan park was full and lots of people were already out and about with their dogs. I left the Sea Hare bobbing about in the shallows, and went in. Above the sky had a covering of clouds that kept hiding the sun for periods of time, so the visibility while reasonable flipped and flopped between great and ok’ish. Regardless of this it felt good being back in the water and feeling like it was worth staying out. I spied numerous fish, mostly the usual suspects:

I also found the above shoal, which was swimming with a shoal of small Western Pomfred. As I approached all the Western Pomfred peeled off and put distance between me and them. These fish did not however seem as fussed. They are all juvenile bullseye, mostly Rough Bullseye but there is one that stood out with its black and yellow pelvic fins. This one is a juvenile Bigscale Bullseye. What is interesting is that bullseye when fully grown hide in dark caves and are quick to run, but these juveniles seemed more at ease in the relative open water and with me poking my camera at them:

I stayed out for a long time just enjoying watching the fish and not bothering to chase them for a snap. I was however curious with what looked like a clump of Slimy Bags, but the shorter length and speckled colouration made it obvious it was something different. Diving down I noticed the opening at each tip and some had small yellow tentacles protruding. It is called Zoanthus Robustus although I have not been able to find out any more information about it, so I am not sure if it is like a filter feeder or an anemone:

As I came out from my morning dive, unbeknown to me, I was followed by a couple of reasonable sized rays. I didn’t spot them until I had taken my mask and flippers off, and while I managed to get my mask on to take a quick look at them they didn’t hang about. So knowing that the rays are about, as a heap of people on the beach told me they had seen lots of them, I decided on a second dip in the afternoon. The water was again flat and calm, allowing a couple of Oystercatchers to probe into the sand for a feed:

The water seemed to have stirred up a bit since the morning and there wasn’t as much to see. So in view of having provided you with a few of the more unusually sea urchins I’ve come across this season, below is the most common. The Purple Sea Urchin will often not be purple and can be white to grey in colour. This one did however have spines with a beautiful purple tip. Like the Western Slate Pencil Urchin I usually find these in little hollows, but somehow these ones manage to maintain sharp points at the end of the their spines. While there wasn’t anything else to report it was a nice dive:

Monday arrived. A public holiday and one of the few that isn’t merged in with a school holiday, so Lisa was able to enjoy it without feeling a little aggrieved. The painter has returned to our place to finish off the last of the work from our plumbing leak in October last year. So we once more have numerous rooms packed in boxes and furniture again randomly scattered round the house. Why is this relevant, well the painter had decided that they wanted to work today and we were after all keen to get the job done. So regardless of the weather we were keen to get out of the house:

The clouds from yesterday were intensifying and a threat of rain was on the way for later in the day. A stiff seaward breeze was also present and it felt chilly but Geoff, Nana and Ben were keen to get out so we all drove along the beach past the river mouth. The beach was starting to change, the sand didn’t look that flat, gently sloping, clean white that we come to expect in summer. It was more rutted and weed was springing up here and there, mounds of sea weed were forming along the water’s edge and where it wasn’t present the beach had a steeper angle into the water:

All a sign of the changing seasons, and indeed today was the first day of Autumn. The water also felt chilly when we went in, at least Geoff and I felt so. The others may not have through so as Nana trying out her new wetsuit, covered head to toe, while Ben looked like a pro all decked out. As the images above show the visibility, despite the clouds wasn’t too bad. Close to shore it was murky and grim, but further out it cleared up and there was lots to see. Again mostly the usual suspects of rays, sea stars, sand gobblers, fish and a stunning array of weeds that looked like a floral garden:

While there wasn’t much new that I saw, I was chuffed to come across my second Estuary Catfish. Unlike the first one I had seen, this one really didn’t want me looking at it. As soon as I saw it, it frantically swam round looking for a place to fully conceal itself. It was so fast that I’m a little surprised I managed to get a reasonable snap of it. It really didn’t take long for it to be hidden from sight. That seemed to the way of this dive, everything was in a hurry to get away and hide. Despite being out for over an hour I took the least number of images I can recall in a single, good visibility, dive:

I did however come across the above fish, one that I have seen previously as it quickly hops about clinging on to the more exposed rocky reef. It is no more than 80mm long and extremely well camouflaged. I thought it may be a goby, but now feel that it is probably a Common Threefin. These are often mistaken for gobies but what distinguishes them is a more pointed snout and also the pectoral fins are divided into two fins. Soon after snapping the above image I headed back through the near shore murky waters, keen to get a hot tea down me:

I was the first back and usually I am the last to come back in. Lisa hadn’t gone out for a dive, in part as it would have been way too cold for her plus we had taken to poodles. Nana came in next and said she was still toasty warm, so the new wetsuit was a hit. Then Geoff came in with quite literally blue hands, shortly followed by Ben who like Nana looked like he hadn’t noticed the cold. We had found some good ground today and we all hoped Autumn would ease in slowly, allowing us the opportunity to come back out and explore again maybe with the sun above us if we are lucky:

Watching the clock

The mural on Wellington Dam was officially unveiled a week back, and today being the start of a long weekend there would no doubt be an onslaught of tourist driving by to take a look. Being still early as I rolled past, I had the place to myself so I took a couple of quick snaps. I have to say it looks pretty good, and I like the way the images have been made to look like they are on canvases. This may be a detail that you struggle to see in the low resolution copy of my image below, in which case you will just have to make a trip here yourself. If you are reading this from interstate or overseas and keen let me know and can send some full resolution images:

My reason for heading back to Welly Dam was that I had tried to organise a bit of a social catch-up. This was on the basis that there has been an influx of new people joining the local South West WhatsApp chat group and I thought it would be good way to get to know them all. The call out hadn’t resulted in the response that I thought it may have, and as such only a few familiar people ended up coming along, being Mikey, Howsie and Andrew. Despite Welly Dam having proven to be pretty tough for Andrew, just a few weeks back, he was keen to come along and had arranged for a mate to also join in. So until his mate, who had climbing experience, arrived he pottered about taking images:

Howsie was on a timeline, the aim was to be on the road by 10:30. It didn’t give us lots of time, and does to some extent result in a changed head space needing to check the clock to ensure our enthusiasm didn’t take over and make him late. We started sensibly on Welcome to Edges to warm up, but even this would have been too tough for Andrew with its bouldery start. As I hung at the anchors getting ready to clean the route Mikey was looking up at the climb to the right, Attack of the March Flies. He had been looking at it during our last trip here and liked the aesthetics of the line. Howsie and I encouraged him to give it a go, and I’m sure from our overly exuberant support that Mikey had an inkling of what to expect:

He was attempting this route ground-up, and with no prior knowledge was going to be great to watch. In the lower potion he moved well but the crux at mid height blocked his path. It took a bit of figuring out but he eventually working his way through that, before having a rest at a stance below the steep flake feature where it gets pretty pumpy. As you’ll see from the image above and below he got a bit warm on this route and so discarded his jumper. Each time the same spot was reached, as shown above. Sometimes he down-climbed from here but most times he fell. It was a solid effort with some decent falls as the video will show, but eventually he became complete gassed and conceded defeat:

welly dam 27-02-2021 Download

The last clip before the anchors is the scariest part of the route, and he hadn’t managed to get the draw on it. So Howsie and I looked at each other, not quite staring each other down but there was definitely a mind game going on. We had both been so keen to lead it, with the draws in but now it was a whole new ball game. I gave in and went up next next, stuffing up the mid-section but cruising the pumpy upper part. Howsie then pulled the rope, and with the security of all the draws in may a methodical and steady clean ascent. All thought of the clock had seeped away during all the excitement but our second route had eaten away a hour of our time:

It was my choice next and I already knew what it would be, and I knew full well it may end up being another route that would gobble up time. Flight Simulator had only just beaten me the last time I took it on, but today I managed to get it clean. This time I was more clinical and not anywhere near as vocal as previously, there was however some heavy breathing to get me through. Howsie went next, and like his ascent of Attack of the March Flies he was looking methodical and steady… until he got to where I am in the above image. Each time he attempted to reach the next clipping stance something in his head held him back. Resulting in him going up and down like a yo-yo but still in control as he down climbed:

Each time it sapped a bit more strength and energy, and each time his head did the same thing and he seemed to freeze in time and stay there motionless unable to attempt to make the next clip. We eventually encouraged him to really go for it, with the not surprising result. The ropes were certainly getting a big workout today. Like on Attack of the March Flies this sequence will give you plenty of air time if you slip off before getting the next clip. This process was repeated several times before it was Howsie’s turn to concede defeat, that said he had been battling this route for half an hour. Andrew seemed quite happy to be taking images and kicking back, his mate was so far a no show and there was little point in trying out routes:

Andrew also didn’t seem too interested in having a boulder along the base, which is a great way to get used to the rock and climbing style here. So he chilled out on the well placed boulder and watched Mikey have a bash. With having had plenty of time to recovered from his previous route, he set up looking confident. He will however be the first to admit that he is lacking stamina. Due to having not climbed outdoors for a long time, and only having done a bit of bouldering. While stamina may be his weak point the bouldering has given him strength, technique and a go for it attitude, which was certainly on display today:

He made short work of the first half getting to the same place as Howsie. From this point the main difference being that he only reversed the moves once before launching into it. In the image below he is at the clipping stance, holding onto a flat sloper with just enough texture to gain a friction hold. After working all the moves below your arms are pretty tried at this point, making what seems like a big hold feel insecure. This is where Mikey popped off once, twice and then I lost count. He did eventually crack it and managed to get to the anchors, avoiding the need for me to repeat the line. And another hour had been eaten away:

We were certainly not moving at the usual pace of our before work climb sessions, and we now had less than an hour left before it was time to pack up. This helped us decide on a couple of more gentle climbs, both to avoid a late departure but also to allow the boys to get a clean lead in. I pointed Howsie to BBQ, a route that has perplexed him in the past but one he should be capable of climbing. He managed a clean ascent and never looked to be struggling with his head, so it was a great way to sort himself out after the last route. Mikey was however all over the place, moving erratically and slapping for holds so not even getting to the first bolt before deciding to give it a miss:

He did however give the final route a crack, Savage Sausage Sniffer. Another one that we know well enough and is at a grade that it really shouldn’t chew up too much time. I led it so the draws were in to make it a little easier for the boys, as they were both keen to pull the rope and led it. Mikey managed to get all the way to below the final anchors, and only had to unlock the locally famous Mikey Pinch hold. A hold that he had discovered when he on-sighted this route and since then has made it so much more sane for the rest of us. Today’s workout was taking its toll and the result was his mind becoming addled and his body exhausted. Although so close to the end he just couldn’t finish it off:

That just left Howsie to wrap the morning off, and looking at the clock we knew he would have to make an efficient accent. So I suggested that I would only keep him on belay for 3min and 45 seconds, which was a randomly selected length of time that just happened to pop into my head. It is strange how I occasionally suggest dumb ideas like this and yet people just seem to roll with them. I was instructed to put him on belay only once he had clipped the first bolt, settled his mind and then started to move. Andrew was the timekeeper and we all watched the clock for one last time, counting down the seconds and being mightily impressed when Howsie made it up and secured himself to the anchors with 13 seconds to spare:

The power of positive thinking

After a few weeks of hitting the bolted walls at Welly Dam it was time to get back onto the coastal crags for a bit of trad. There was a bit of committing and bailing to heading out by a certain party, and in the end Craig did join Jamie and I on a trip to Moses Rocks. I’d checked the conditions and knew it may be a wee bit damp due to the swell and wind direction. And as we arrived the forecast proved correct, the rock was wet but that has never dampened our mood at Moses where due to the friction you can climb in all conditions:

I’d already decided to head towards Rumpole’s Rocks, but as we wandered down that way Craig and I agreed it was finally time for us to repeat our two routes called Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee. I doubt anyone else has ever been on them, and on the first ascent Craig was having an off day, backing off Tweedle Dumb until he had reset his focus and then finishing it off. They are both short, not too hard and hidden in a mass of rock, which is why I doubt anyone has ever done them:

While not hard they are both steep towards the top, some would say they have an overlap or bulge. But to Jamie they were overhangs, something she is not particularly keen on and quick to believe in her mind that she can’t get up. Craig is however a patient and encouraging person and while she looked a little concerned, Jamie managed to get up the first route after Craig who also managed to get it first hit. Then after I led Tweedle Dee she got up that one too, looking a little less concerned but still not 100% believing that she could do it:

After the warm up routes it was time to get to the higher walls at Rumpole’s Rocks. With no agenda for today Craig wandered along and looked up to see what tickled his fancy, and deciding on Chillies and Garlic. This route is more vertical in nature and never feels like an overhang, and it was interesting to watch Jamie cruise up it with relative ease despite being four grades harder than either of the first two routes. It really goes to show how much climbing is a mind game:

For difficulty of climbs we normally attempt I’ve always considered that, as long as you are reasonably fit and have a bit of climbing experience, a good mental attitude will result in someone giving most climbs a good crack. While physical strength does come into it, but good technique can get you a long way without needing to be able to do a pullup. Everyone who has climbed with me will have heard me to tell them to use their feet, but the second most important part is using your core. Body position is so important to keep the weight on your legs, they are after all the biggest and strongest muscles we have:

Jaime did well following me up Yogurt, other than her and Craig ganging up on me about pronunciation and how yogurt “should” be said. This route did however have a bit more of a sustained overlapping section and it was good to see this it didn’t faze Jaimie. The next route that Craig chose was however a different story. Olive Oil starts steep but then requires you to us your arms to get established over the small rooflet. Great handholds are on offer but you have to get your left foot high and then rock over onto it. Her head started to get rattled from the start, it does after all look ominous even though Craig made it look easy:

While Jamie managed to get the bomber handholds, and also established her left foot up high, she really struggled with the rockover. Instead each time she got her foot up she slunk down on her arms losing any height advantage. Despite her repeated attempts obviously sapping her strength, Craig nor I were going to give up no her. I felt we may have been close to crossing the line the last time we encouraged her to give it one more crack. But with a bit of advice on keeping the momentum going and not relaxing when her left foot was up, she pulled it off:

She then continued in a determined nature up the headwall above and after that it was time for a well-deserved break, and to help with the recuperation a welcome cuppa. While there was a bit of a swell and the salt spray was intense, the tide was reasonably low and the base of the crag at least was not being lapped by the ocean. The wind was however now starting to turn, blowing the salt spray like a mist from the south across the face of the crag. It also resulted in the wind hitting the base of the crag dropping to nothing allowing the mossies to attack in full force:

I headed up Jugs Galore. The steep start was putting Jamie off from giving it a bash, but we somehow got her tied in. She was soon reaching up and looked to relax that bit and just go for it, managing all the moves between the route’s namesake jugs. Craig picked the most southerly route called Finger Licking. I belayed him pointing out the moves he was making to Jamie, and there were no signs of her flinching and saying she would pass this one by. After she had got past the bottom hard moves, I then turned my attention to a rock pool in which some fish had been trapped:

I’d spotted these fish earlier, but the pool was in the shade cast by the crag. With the sun well and truly high in the sky now I couldn’t resist sitting there for a while to watch them again. When I turned my attention back to the crag, Jamie was making her way up the headwall. I’d like to think that our little chats about having a relaxed and chilled attitude to climbs that might feel hard and focusing on some basics such as footwork, engaging core muscle groups, conserving your arms till you really need them, and going for it when you decide to start a difficult looking section was paying off:

For my last climb I had a bash at a way through the rooflet that Craig had spied. A thin rounded crack with no obvious horizontal breaks. I couldn’t recall having climbed it before, but looking up felt I could see a way to get up it. Jamie took the camera and took heaps of images, while I attempted varying approaches to use the shallow finger locks to pull towards the wall above. I had no idea of how I would get my feet established if I did make it. Up and down I went, too many times to count, and my fingers were getting sore from the jams. So I offered the rope to Craig and he too came across the same difficulties:

I almost managed to work a sequence when Craig handed the rope back to me but it was not to be and we decided that it was just a bit too hard. I‘ve checked the guide and there are no recorded routes up this crack, and so we will have to return to bag it another day. Preferable a dry day. Needless to say Jamie declined our offer to have a go on lead, I mean it was the gentlemanly thing to do before we pulled the rope on it. She was quite happy to be behind the lens, and as we pondered what I would lead instead she wandered off to watch the waves:

Burning Both Ends was my pick and that is a bit how I felt as I worked my way up this route. A fitting end to the day, climbing yet another fine traditional line up the tallest part of the crag. Craig will be interested to hear this route was graded 17, and was set before we started to visit this area. While it felt nervous today, we both agreed 15 was more appropriate relative to the other routes here. But at the end of the day it is more about where your mind is at as opposed to a grade or two difference, and after our morning’s outing we were all definitely feeling good:

Déjà vu

The same troop of us headed out past The Point as last time and as we drove out we finally came across a bay that was free cars. Each bay seemed to have occupants already set up, and in the bay we chose we were nestled between two parties. Behind us a couple were fishing and ahead of us was one of the commercial fishing crew. Their boats were just coming in and they started to pull in the drag net, meaning they would soon be one their way. A few pelicans were drifting about, maybe due to the presence of the commercial fishing crew as I have not seen them swimming along the coast before:

I was first in leaving the others to kit up and catch up, the water near shore was murky but I took my time as you never know what might appear. I spied these three corals close together and I was really taken by the different colours all in one spot. It is not uncommon for us to find these hard corals washed up on the beach, and I have some vague recollection of trying to identify them before. I’m not even going to try this time, but did like how the filaments are clearing visible, feasting on all the sediments that were stirred up in the water. Next time I will have a bash at getting some more detailed images, which will also help with identify them:

Last weekend I posted about what I thought was a Feather Duster Worm. I have since discovered that it was a Southern Australian Fanworm, reputedly to be the most impressive of all the fanworms: https://sandbagged.blog/2021/02/05/playing-hide-and-seek/. Today I came across what I believe really are Feather Duster Tubeworms, a patch of about ten clustered together. I was careful not to get too close to avoid them shooting back into their protective tube, one of which you can see without the worm sticking its feathery branchiae out. Hopefully, this time I have correctly identified it:

I came across several large Southern Eagle Rays, which I am guessing were fully grown adults. I had called them Australian Cownose Ray, in the same post that I linked above. While it seems that I am mistaken I am struggling to accept this, as the Eagle Ray has a variable pattern of spots while the Cownose Ray is plain on top like the ones I see. While we were continuing to search below, Lisa and Monica had decided to head out on their stand up paddleboards, carefully avoiding the shallow reef areas in case they fell off. As I continued my journey I came across plenty of shoals of small fish and isolated larger ones. Sadly the larger ones I really wanted to show you were just too quick:

As soon as I saw them they were off, and while I caught each of them on camera, it was never a clear image. This area had heaps of interconnected caves and swim throughs, more than any area we had previously been too. This allowed these fish lots of places to quickly get away often way too small for us to follow. The first one was a Spiny Tailed Leatherjacket, a fish I have been hoping to see for a long time due to four distinct yellow spines near the base of the tail. The next was what I believe to be a Rock Cale, the shape, mottled patterning and spotted tail is what makes me sure of this. And the last one I that I simply have to include was the spectacular Harlequin Cod, and I do wonder what my chances of seeing one of these again is:

In my post yesterday (https://sandbagged.blog/2021/02/13/a-splash-of-colour/) I included what I believe to be a juvenile pipefish. The first and only other time I have seen this was on Australia Day 2016, and during that same snorkel five years back I also came across a Batwing Sea Slug. So it seems really uncanny that today I came across my second sighting of a Batwing Sea Slug. The image is taken from below making it look like it is flying through the air, and as I watched it the reason for its name was pretty obvious. I studied it for ages and of course simply had to take a video, as it flapped about in front of me:

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If you watch the weed behind, more so towards the end of the video, you’ll see how the swell was pushing the water back and forth. It was pretty impressive how this little creature managed to stay mostly in one spot with all the water pushing me about this way and that. To give you an idea of the size of some of my finds I quite like this mage, it just goes to show how you really have to keep a sharp eye out for all sizes, shapes, colours and movements. Today there was more that got away from me than what I managed to catch on camera, but those are the breaks and it was still lovely being out there:

As I drifted about I came across a rock lobster graveyard, the remnants of others who had been in luck during their dive and had taken home a feast. You may also be able to tell that I was heading back to shore as the water was getting murky again. Unlike these previous people Gav and Geoff however came in empty handed, what they found was either undersized or too quick to get away. The latter being a bit like how I had faired with the fish today, just too many escape routes for the critters. Still they too came out smiling, as we all did:

My last find was a small shoal of what I believe to be Blue Weed Whiting, which happens to be the same as that little green fish I snapped yesterday only that one was a juvenile. I’ve also had the other two small juvenile fish identified, Rongy was right with the juvenile McCullochs Scalyfin. The other one that I guessed may be a Coralfish or Bannerfish really surprised me and is a Ocellate Butterflyfish. You would never guess it from the look of the adult but on the Fish of Australia website there is also an image of a juvenile that is identical to what I found. These fish don’t usually venture this far south, so it was a really good find:

In the image above I was so focused on the Blue Weed Whiting, which I followed round for ages trying to get a clearer image, that I didn’t even notice the Gobbleguts and Western Pomfret to the left until I got home. It had been another amazing swim and as we packed things back in our cars the wind died and the water went flat. Much as it was tempting to warm up and head back out, one by one we drove off. The pelicans were still bobbing about in the shallows looking like they were having a good feed, so we left them in peace and took a leisurely pace driving out past the increasing number of cars:

A splash of colour

I’ve only had one full week of work since mid-December and that was working from home, so it really didn’t feel like a full week with all the snorkels I got in. This week was also short, as Lisa and I drove up to Perth to help our daughter settle in at University. As a result of the restrictions in the Perth area and despite being back home, we are now required to wear masks if we leave our house. That is until midnight on Saturday, as long as no more COVID cases are identified. This was however not going to stop me heading out for a before work climb on Friday. But I do realise that heading back to Welly Dam will soon become tiresome for you to read about:

So I do not propose to tell you about how well organised we were climbing with three, using two sets of gear, each of us leading each route, keeping the grades respectable and still managing to squeeze six climbs into a three hour session! I do however, want to mention this beautiful Damselfly that was on the rock, as I climbed up, and then when I came down it went onto my top. Supposedly the way to tell dragonflies and damselflies apart is that the former have different sized rear and fore wings. Based on the colours I have guessed it may be a Australian Duskhawker Damselfly, and am eagerly awaiting to find out if I am right:

Rather than head to the office I worked from home on Friday. This allowed me to be mask free and also to have the accompaniment of music, with a compilation of 80s singer song writers. This morning being Saturday there was no work. So after a few domestic duties had been seen too, and seeing the conditions looked primo, I headed down to our local beach. Near shore I saw more stingers than before this season, but they soon parted and I drifted safely to the thankfully stinger free deeper water. Here I found a curious creature a mere 15mm long, when it was stretched out:

Snorkel 01 13-02-21 Download

I have seen this before a long time back and got in touch with a local marine scientist working at the Busselton Jetty. I was told that it could be a juvenile pipefish, but they were not able to identify it any further than that due to the images not being very clear. So I spent a while snapping loads of images of this one in the hope that at least one would come out clear. I also took a short video if you are interested to see how it moves through the water. I also took a video of this Eleven-Armed Sea Star, the reason being so you could see just how quickly this particular sea star moves:

Snorkel 02 13-02-21 Download

Being a carnivorous sea star it feeds on small crabs and marine worms, and is different to most sea stars as it has four rows of tube feet on the underside of their arms. Most other sea stars only have two rows. I’m guessing, but this may be why it is able to move so much quicker or it may be so it can hold onto its prey. I also came across another Western Slate Pencil Urchin, and this one was in a brighter location allowing a clearer image. Due to not having as many spines as other urchins these are more vulnerable and as a consequence wedge themselves in cracks. This in turn rounds off the ends of their thick spines:

As I looked from above I spotted a small trigger fish, today I had donned my short wetsuit and weights. This allowed me to stay out a bit longer, and also duck dive down more efficiently and with less bodily movement. It still wasn’t enough to prevent this fish spotting me early on and making a dash for the weed. But after waiting patiently, it came out again and I got a good enough image to identify it as a juvenile Horseshoe Leatherjacket. The patterning gives it away, but what really struck me were the small spines along its side. I don’t recall seeing these on the adults:

My next spot came from the slightest splash of colour, this tiny fish would have been no more than 10mm long. The size of it becoming apparent when you compare it to the hydrozoan, which looks like a fern type plant but is in fact a colony of very small predatory animals. They are ready to give you a surprise like a jelly fish might if you get too close. Back to this fish, it is again a juvenile making it hard to identify. I’m really not sure but the shape and markings makes me think a Coralfish or Bannerfish:

My discovery of small beautiful fish continued. Next I spotted a short, maybe 50mm long, slender but distinct stripe of green that stood out and seemed to be moving. The green was fluorescent and mesmerising. I was able to dive down away from the area and sneak up from below. While I didn’t move or moved very slowly it was fine. It did however dart for cover a couple of times, and as I sat there waiting patiently it popped back out again. Yet another juvenile and again I’m stuck between two species, either a Weed Whiting or Cigar Wrasse:

While I saw lots of other juvenile including Hulafish, Gobbleguts, Pomfrey, etc. these were all in small shoals and I have included images of these previously. The last fish that I wanted to include in this post was again solitary, and looked simply stunning. The blue patterning certainly didn’t help it hide and despite the depth it was at, how could I miss the blue dot moving about. Another tiny find maybe 20mm long that looks like a Fire Damsel, but they do not come this far south. So the search continued and with a bit of help from Rongy it has been identified as a juvenile McCullochs Scalyfin:

Along the way today I spotted a small ray, plenty of fish and sea stars so overall it was a great snorkel. The conditions look to continue today so I warn you I might be popping out again this afternoon and will almost certainly be back out tomorrow. The latter trip will be down past The Point so I’ll be taking the full length wetsuit for a longer dive if the conditions hold. Coming out of the water and just to prove I’m not solely focused on marine life, I took a quick snap of a few pelicans soaring on high, which was a little how I was feeling after all my finds:

Not one to give up

Ever hopeful that the five day lockdown was enough to abate an increase in community spreading of the virus, we organised a trip to Welly Dam for Saturday morning. It wasn’t until the bells tolled at six o’clock Friday evening did we were whether our planned trip would be allowed to go ahead. Fortune was on our side and I found myself making a cuppa for the journey ready to leave the house at 5am, and of course one for Lisa in a sippy cup to be enjoyed at what some might call a more respectable time of the morning. Arriving at the Dam the Muriel is getting close to being finished so I stopped for a while to admire the impressive work:

It was dark for more of the drive than I had expected, remember we had started to climb here at 5am just a week back. This was part due to the remains of a cyclone pushing a cloud bank over us, but also due to the longest day having passed and the seasons being on the downward slope to the shortest day. I met Howsie and Mikey at the Dam, and we reckoned that our 5am before work climb may require head torches soon for the first climb. Also as the early morning temperatures drop, which won’t be for at least three months, Rongy who doesn’t function so well in the cold may decide not to join us before work. But that is the future and we were in the present:

Mikey has been over for close to a month, and this is the first time I have met him. Usually on his trips over here it would be a matter of days from his arrival that we would meet up at some crag. For this trip he is however staying for a year, so the pressure to cram trips out to rock is off. Also he has completed his 10km challenge so the urgency to get out on new routes is also off. Howsie however has his own challenge, as you should well know by now, and to kick things off I suggested he lead Ebonie Road. I had good reason to suggest this climb:

It could have been a tall ask, not only is it a route that he used to really struggle on but it was also the first route of the day, so the muscles hadn’t been warmed up yet. But he cruised it in great style, after which we pulled the rope twice so both Mikey and then I could lead it. As we were getting down to business Andrew rocked up, new to the south west climbing community and also new to climbing. As his first venture on rock Welly Dam was probably not the best choice. But he had made the effort, so Mikey jumped on Murky Corner. Being one of the easier lines here it offered a good intro to Welly Dam for Andrew:

Andrew had a crack at the corner, while needing to learning all the basic techniques. This included that it is best to keep on your toes and not the sides of your feet as son many new climber do, as this allows you more ability to twist your legs; using your core muscles to pull into the wall, and take the weight of your arms; not over gripping with your hands, and learning to relax even when you are scared; resting when you can, and focusing on breathing to help you relax; and most importantly use your feet and legs, they are after all the biggest and strongest muscles you have. It was a huge ask on the steep and technical walls at Welly Dam:

What with Andrew having a crack at climbing for the first time, and adding Murky Corner to our itinerary my lead changed from what I had in mind to a route closer by so we could hang about together as a group. So instead of A Walk in Central Park I picked an equally fingery route, but one that is way more sustained and technical. Small fingertip sized holds, smeary feet, sustained moves to link together and the risk of descent falls all make Taj vs The World one of the best routes here, in my opinion. Despite knowing this route inside out, I was close to coming off several times but somehow managed to cling on each time:

Howsie and then Mikey went next and neither of them fare so well, the first and second clip isn’t too bad. A few small holds and long reaches can get you there, but between the second and third clip it gets serious. Non-stop action, that you need to tackle at a steady and controlled pace. It is not until your feet are above the last draw can you reach the next clip, and even then making that clip feels tenuous and scary. If you don’t make it there is plenty of air time that awaits you, as they both found out on numerous occasions slowly wearing down their stamina and shredding the skin from their finger tips:

So with Andrew having been beaten by Murky Corner, after a valent effort and trying in a determined fashion while being strongly encouraged and tutored by the three of us below, and Howsie and Mikey finally deciding they needed a break we had a change of scenery. On our last trip here Rongy had talked up Irish Stew, one of the fine but short slab routes straight off the carpark. This wall also has a route that we felt Andrew would have a far better chance of getting up. So Howsie hit Irish Stew while Mikey climbed The Crack, with me belaying both of them at the same time:

While some may roll their eyes at some of our antics and be quick to tell us that it probably is not sensible nor safe, we did confess to Andrew that what he was witnessing was not the best practise and also something we do not do very often. No drama’s befell us and they both managed a clean ascent, allowing Andrew to have a bash at the Crack while I followed Howsie up Irish Stew. And yes Rongy it was great fun, and worth climbing again after such a long time of walking past it. Andrew did well and managed to get up the Crack, but the two routes of the day had wiped him out:

With that he decided to not climb anymore, which was probably very sensible and I do hope that he wasn’t put off this wonderful pastime by having had his first experience at the very intimidating and extremely unforgiving Welly Dam. While it may sound like I’m not selling the place, these are the words that many use on their first visit here. You however need to immerse yourself in the place several times before you start to realise just how great it is. The three of us carried on but before we returned to the unfinished business on the big walls I lead B Young, allowing Howsie and Mikey to get used to small fingertip holds again:

Back on Taj and Howsie made short work of the route this time, bagging another 21. So all that was left was for Mikey to get up it. He didn’t get to the third clip, again and again and again. Taking fall after fall after fall and at times not looking to be making any progress. Eventually he reached the conclusion he again needed a rest from this climb, as his energy was being sucked out of him and his fingertips became more and more tender. So Howsie walked along the crag ready to point me to a climb he want to follow up on, finally deciding on my original intention of A Walk in Central Park:

Central Park is a route named so as it can spit you off at any time, and you never know when that might happen. However, after triumphing on Taj the holds on Central Park felt generous and easy to navigate. The only issue with the route being that you need to top out, since Steve had removed the ugly but effective chains at the top. So as Howsie followed up I suggested he might like to down climb Pocket Knife rather than walk off. And strangely, as so often happens when I suggest such things, he did. Mikey was resting up so I promptly did the same as Howsie, before it was back to Taj:

As can be seen above Mikey tried again, and again, and again. I’ve included a quick video clip of one of his attempts, in which he make a remark that could be said about so many of the holds on this route… just before he takes yet another fall. To give you an idea the hold he is talking about is worse than the one shown in the image below, which again is from this route. His persistence was admirable and finally, I’m pleased to say, it paid off. Neither of them had anything left in the tank for more climbing, so having watched the boys on this route for so long I couldn’t resist and had to jump on it one more time before we packed up and headed home:

Welly Dam 3 06-02-21 Download

Playing hide and seek

Well I didn’t manage a snorkel every workday this week, and in truth I’m not sure why. The winds were predicted to be up so I was sceptical about my chances. However, from early on each morning before it was light I listened out to get an idea of what the winds were actual up to and most days it was calm. That along with the chance to take advantage of working from home and where we live enabled me get out four days out of five, the first one I have already written up a post for. And as you might imagine with three dips to report on in this post it will be a bit longer than usual. Even more so as I also reflect on past finds and report back on a few identifications I have since obtained:

On Tuesday I had to schedule the snorkel around some meetings, and this resulted in heading down a little later in the morning. The forecast had indicated it would work well, but when we got down there things had picked up and the surface was starting to roll. Today however Lisa was intending to come into the water with me, so we went in anyway. No wetsuits were donned today, nor for any of my swims this week. This was in part intentional so I wouldn’t stay out too long and chew up too much of the working day. Working from home save me an hour of travel each day, but I still need to do my hours and I’m not one for working into the evenings:

While not a new find this image of a Rock Lobster is probably one of the clearest I have taken to date. It hadn’t picked the best place to be and struggled to get much further away from my lens allowing me a bit more time to focus the camera, and also being in more light than when I have attempted to snap them deeper inside their hidey holes. The mosaic patterning is stunning, resembling a glass stained window with precisely placed small segments of colour looking like jewels. The best part is that being out in the open just a bit meant that Lisa got to see it from her vantage point on the surface, she’s not one for duck diving so this was the first one she has seen underwater:

One of the most common fish see is the Orange Spotted Wrasse, a fish that will hide in the weed and stick it’s head out observing where I am and what my intended actions maybe. Acting on my actions as soon as I make a move. Today I spotted what I felt to be a different wrasse and as I attempted to catch it on camera it acted in very much the same way making use of the weed, popping it’s head out and darting away when I got to close only to hide a bit further away and again watch me. Checking my fish book as I type away I have discovered that it is the male Orange Spotted Wrasse, whereas the ones I see more commonly are the female of this fish.

So on the topic of identifying fish, through QuestaGame it seems that the Wobbegong I spotted and reported in my post called Trying to Focus was not the spotted variety but the western variety. These two look very similar but the spotted variation has a distinctive triangle pattern between the eyes on top of the head. Looking back at the images it is now obvious that it doesn’t. Despite my persistent research to attempt to identify the following urchin I finally had to resort to my App. I’ve seen a few of these urchins and thought they were pencil urchins, due to the thickness of the spines. What has thrown me is the textured nature of the spines and what looked like suckers on the ends. I was however close, and it is actually an Impressive Pencil Urchin:

Lisa got cold pretty quickly during our swim and that along with the rolling water, which had made her feel a little sea sick, resulted in her going in before me. I didn’t stay out all that much longer as what with the later start the swell was picking up and work was calling me, with the next meeting booked in precisely one hour after I had walked out of the house. Making my way back in I scoured the ocean floor for one more find worth checking out, and while I see so many Shaw Cowfish this female was in amongst the more soft looking weed and made for a nice image:

The water had certainly roughened up and it usually when I get to the shore I realise how much. This is where I found Lisa soaking, up a few rays. That reminds me that we had seen a ray as soon as we had gone out. The little Stingaree that I had seen in my previous snorkel was again in the shallows, and it was once more hiding in all the weed that had become detached during less calm conditions and was now collecting on the sandy area near the beach. I had called it a Bight Stingaree in my post having relied on my books, but checking it out in more detail before posting it on QuestaGame I changed my mind:

This time I guessed correctly that it was a Striped Stingaree, the marking were just that little bit different. I also discovered the Striped Stingaree is endemic to the shallow waters off the South West of Western Australia, so this one really is at home at our local beach. I can’t recall now why but Wednesday came and went and I didn’t get out for a swim. When Thursday arrived it was a different story and this time I head out before eight to be greeted to beautifully calm conditions and an empty beach. Obeying the rules of the lock down I still however wore my mask walking to and from the spot I go into the water. Almost immediately I thought I had come across that little Striped Stingaree for a third time:

Despite being almost identical in size if you look back at the images of the previous post, No Complaints, you will notice a few differences. I’ll mention the colouration first, this one was far darker and didn’t have the same subtle patterning of the previous stingaree. But more obvious was the shape of the tail, this one was pointed at the end and that was a clear indication to me that this was not a stingaree but a stingray. My guess was a Black Stingray, and a juvenile at that as they can reach up to 4m long. I’ve only ever seen the adults at Peppy Beach once and they are huge. I also took a bit of video footage of this small one so you can see how they propel themselves through the water, it is really graceful and lovely to watch:

Snorkel 01 04-02-2021 Download

Now the way QuestaGame works is that other players get a chance to guess your finds, and after that has been completed the experts come in to undertake the final verifications. I have noticed that often the other players will provide a more detailed guess delving into the species, whereas the experts will often stay at the next level up of the genus or at times family. The reason being that the lower levels at times require far more conclusive evidence, which they at times mention is just not possible to verify from the images provided. For my stingray above I’m waiting for the verification but it looks like it may be the Giant Black Stingray, which can grow up to 4.3m long. What distinguishes the two I have not been able to find out, so I’ll await the experts verdict and see if they give me any advice on the differences to look out for next time:

I was however correct first hit with the above urchin. Like the Impressive Pencil Urchin I do not get to see these Western Slate Pencil Urchins all that often. This one also has distinctive chunky spines, but these are smooth with blunt rounded ends. Also the body is deep red colour, as oppose to brown and the finer patterning on the body is less prominent. I tend to find these stuck deep in rocky hollows and relatively clean. Whereas the other variety is more out in the open and often covered in weed, almost obscuring it from view. This one however was much easier to identify using google and all the local websites I make use of to identify my finds, making me think it may be more widely spread or the other variety is so well camouflaged when it coats itself in weed that people just don’t see it:

I have passed over the above image but it is included for a very good reason. Not only does it show how amazing the visibility was today but if you look closely you will hopefully see why I took it. A Giant Cuttlefish was cruising along underneath me. It was clear that it had spotted me, as it made a slow but determined path towards the clump of weed in front of it. Once there it nestled underneath the weed, away from my prying eyes. The swell wasn’t huge today but the 15-20 second cycle would gently push the water shoreward and then back out to sea, and on the shoreward path it drew the weed the same way revealing the cuttlefish:

It was in 3-4m of water and I duck dived down to check out the cuttlefish, and I’m pleased to report it didn’t seem too perturbed by me saying hello. I can count on one hand the number of times I have come across these gentle creatures and it always feel like a great privilege. Despite getting cold I hung about for ages and eventually it came out and carried on with its journey, which took it up and over a shallower part of the reef. While I didn’t take any video footage this time, I got a heap of stunning images including this one in which you can clearly see its funnel underneath the head. It draws water in through this funnel, which then passes over its gill allowing it to extract oxygen:

I headed back to shore starting to chill on the inside. This wasn’t helped by cloud creeping over the sky and blocking out the warming rays of the sun. With reduce light the water looked more murky and I couldn’t see as far away from me. As I looked sideways I could just make out a dark shape heading my way. As it approached it diverted round me at a very healthy distance, too far to get a clear image but close enough for me to be able to see that it was another ray, and this one was missing its tail. Maybe the chances are too small but I do wonder if it the same tail-less ray I have seen before. Sadly having trawled through thousands of past images I can’t find any evidence of that previous encounter:

I left it to head on its way and as I got closer to shore another and then third similar ray came my way size both with their tails intact. These two were clearly different and there was a larger and smaller one, the image below being of the latter. Long whip like tails made it easier to have a go at identifying them. I also took a short clip of their very different swimming technique, compared to the previous stingray, this time using their more pointed wings just like a bird. I have always called these Eagle Rays, but it seems that Eagle Rays usually have a variable pattern of spots and stripes. These did not so I guess it may be the Australian Cownose Ray, but another player on QuestaGame suggests it is an Southern Eagle Ray. Another one I’ll have to await the experts verification on:

Snorkel 02 04-02-2021 Download

With so many finds I was out a bit longer on Thursday. Back in my office at home I was shivering a little and my fingers were not function fully as I tried to tap away at the keyboard. It took a good hour before the tea I was constantly sipping warmed me up from inside, while the fleece jacket I was wearing was keeping me insulated on the outside. Friday came and again the wind was low and water calm, as I went in the visibility was the best yet. I’ve continued to see lots of Blue Swimmer Crab, and while they are amazing to see they just seem too common to pop onto QuestaGame. I did however pop down for a closer look at this one and it didn’t seem to want to swim far away or bury itself. So I took a video of it both crawling and swimming away from me:

Snorkel 1 05-02-2021 Download

As I went over the reef proper the life below me seemed quiet, so I bobbed about keenly looked out to both sides hoping to spot more creatures heading my way. So now seems to good time to mention that the very small thing I found floating near the surface, and included in a recent previous post called Trying to Focus, has been identified as a Melibe Nudibranch. Growing up seven inches long this was obviously a juvenile. The image was in focus enough to be able to have the plate like features identified as cerata, which are structures that can be used for breathing, digestion and also defence. They are usually found on the surface but at times become detached and will then float about, and I was lucky to be in the right time at the right place to see this one. I’ve not come across a mature one of these, but checking them out online they look very cool:

Nothing headed my way. Some may think that is a good thing but while coming out is a great way to just relax and free the mind of quite literally everything, I also head out to see things big or small. With little to grab my attention I started to randomly duck dive down, and that allowed me to get a rare full body image of a small female Orange Spotted Wrasse. As soon I as pressed the button it darted into the weed and repeated the pattern I had seen so often before, poking its head out and as I get closer darting off to the next place to observe me from. More often than not they stay within eyeshot and do not seem to swim off so I can’t find them. It almost feels like playing a game of hide and seek, and the way they stay reasonably close it feel like they want to game to continue:

On one of my random dives down I spotted a Feather Duster Worm, and I’m pretty sure it is exactly the same one I included in most post almost a year ago to the day on 27 January 2020 (https://sandbagged.blog/2020/01/27/the-old-stomping-ground/). Today however the water really was calm and I was able to get very close. Both of these factors making it easy to get some great focused close up images of the intricate feathery branchiae, which is the technical name for gills. Eventually after three or four dives down to check this beauty out it retracted into its protective tube. But to see an image of the tube you will have to head to my previous post:

Today it was a shorter stint in the water, but as I came back in my luck with rays for the week continued. I caught sight of a Striped Stingaree the tail giving it away. Maybe the same one from the previous days, but this time it wasn’t so content to be observed and quickly darted off. I then spotted a Southern Fiddler Ray and was hoping to get some footage of this fella swimming to add to the collection. Sadly each time I went down it settled down and stayed motionless. A bit like a kid playing hide and seek, thinking that if you don’t move and close your eyes it magical becomes hidden from sight:

No complaints

Not that I’m complaining, as what we are going through really is a drop in the ocean compared to so many other people round the world, but we have after all our months of freedom gone into a five day lockdown. I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets extended and if that happen the timing would be a shame, as next week Elseya is supposed to be heading off to university. Moving out and finding her own two feet without the immediate security of home, with us there to help her out. I am however getting distracted:

Seeing we are working from home and only allowed out for an hour a day for some exercise, what better an idea than to head to the beach. So after shutting down the computer after work that is what Lisa and I did. I of course checked the wind, swell and tide conditions before heading down and decided to take a chance. Before I had even got to the reef I came across a Bight Stingaree trying to hide in the mass of weed collecting on the sand, settling out after last week’s less favourable conditions. I went down to check it out one time to often and it was off:

The water clarity was pretty good. And as I came over the reef I saw a nice trigger fish, which disappeared with what looked to be a sudden flick of a tail. Something looked wrong, the tail looked too big so I went down and sure enough there was another fish that hadn’t run for cover. The long feelers near the mouth are a pretty good indicator of what I had come across, and I have been hoping to see one of these for a long time. The large googly eyes looked like the one you can buy from a craft shop, and appeared to be stuck on and disproportionately large:

Estuary Catfish are benthic fish, like the Spotted Wobbegong I found on the last dive. Meaning they dwell on the lowest part of the water body, the feelers search out the food and a large mouth sucks it up. The broad head like the eyes looked too large for the rest of the body, which ends in a skinny almost flat vertical tail. Like the little Stingaree this fish also has venomous spines, and I’ve just read they can be very painful and repeat stabs can be fatal. So it’s lucky I didn’t get too close:

Fuelled with curiosity and a urge to find more things I ducked dived down to just about every ledge I could find. Lots more juvenile fish were out, and while I followed them about it was more just to observe than take images. Checking out under each ledge I was hoping that something might be lurking but that was not to be. I did however really like this little collection of bivalves with a bryozoan nested next to them. The bivalves detected my presence and rapidly shut, I seem to have a knack for disturbing things today:

In one of the sandy patches a strange shape caught my eye, and on closer inspection I was greeted with this sight. Part of me was hoping it was another fascinating burrowing creature and I was just lucky to have spied it. But now looking at it and after consulting with Rongy we wonder if it may be the underside of a Cushion Sea Star. The white bits being decaying flesh. There is a sea urchin spine next to it and maybe that is the culprit? While I could have dug round it to check it out, and gruesome as this may seem, it is usually best to leave such natural situations to play out as nature intended:

My search continued and there were fish here and there, no big shoals like in my last dive but a few pretty ones. While I have capture images of Smooth Western Boxfish numerous times before, I really like this picture. The fish stands out really well against the lush green background. While it wasn’t overly keen on me prying into its life, it kept popping in and out of the weed as if to allow me to capture a few great images. For once here is a fish that I feel the female is prettier than the male, and I left her alone while I carried on with my own journey:

The direction of that journey was now to the shoreline. Only being in my boardies today the water was sucking the heat out of my body that bit quicker. But as is so often the case I got distracted, this time by what I believed to be a Coral Shell. As I got closer I noticed that there was an inhabitant, and for a change it seemed not to mind me being about. Due to the direction the light was coming I wasn’t able to get a clear image of its legs and claws but the two piercing orange eyes and its long skinny antenna can be clearly seen:

So it is fair to say that I really am not complaining about being in lock down. With our beach a short three minute walk away, being snorkelling season, and the water seeming to come to life after a bit of a sketchy start what better place to be stuck. Despite the beach not having many people on it, the odd dog walker and swimmer, we still donned our masks as directed. I get the feeling that there may be a few more beach trips this week, but whether I’ll score such great afternoon conditions in the water is yet to be seen:

Trying to focus

Seeing I had bouldered on my indoor wall on Wednesday and then climbed at Welly Dam before work on Friday, I had already decided that I needed to rest up from climbing this weekend leaving me two whole days to get some snorkelling in. Geoff and I were hoping to go in for a dip and kept an eye on the conditions, Friday night and Saturday morning the wind was lousy so we opted for a Sunday dip. However, after a busy morning of domestic chores on Saturday I checked the forecast and it looked like the wind would drop soon after midday:

Drop it did and the water went pancake, with only ripples hitting the beach. With optimism I went in only to be greeted by a pea soup visibility. Not a huge surprise, as it needs time for the sediment and weed to settle out. Seeing I was in the water I went for a look anyway. My only find of note being two spawn masses from the Giant Troubridge Head-shield Slug, a slug that feeds on other burrowing slugs and eats them whole. How do I know this you may ask, well I came across the same sack like discovery off Higgins Cut a few weeks back and managed to get it identified on QuestaGame:

I lasted 20min in the water as it just wasn’t worth staying out any longer. Sunday however was another day, and with light winds all night a nice low tide I felt like my optimism might be better placed today. Even more so as we had decided to head past The Point, where the reef is full of weed with less sand about to be stirred up. It was the first time I have driven on the beach this season, heading down past the Capel River mouth. We went quite a way passing a few vehicles, the masses have all left due to school going back tomorrow (in theory):

I say in theory, as just this afternoon it was announced that the school holidays would be extended by a week, due to a lockdown coming into effect. Regardless of that all the tourists were gone, the caravan park looks almost empty and the beaches are thankfully once again quiet. Geoff, Nana, Gav, Moni and Lisa and I headed out today, and we were not disappointed. The water was flat, wind was gentle and water was clear. Just 30m off the shore and we were greeted by beautifully coloured weed:

The low tide meant that much of the reef was close to the surface, there are crevices that you can follow into the main reef. They open up with caves below, and I went in and out of these in the hope of finding something interesting, stuck and unable to easily escape my lens. Nothing was about, just like I have said in previous posts it seems life had not truly started to come out on the reefs, at least not in the numbers that we experienced last year. After a while the ever faithful Banded Sweeps appeared, and one by one I spotted other fish both young and mature:

Some in large numbers such as the Herring others isolated such as the Herring Cale. There were also lots of Bell Clapper shells littering the small sandy areas in-between the reef. At night time these shells, or more correctly the creatures that live inside them move about the floor leaving a trail in the sand, as the large home is dragged along. Keen to see if I could find one of the inhabitants, I went down checking them out and was in luck. The claw and a couple of legs from a Hermit Crab poking out from this one, and quickly retracting when it realised I was watching:

With no new fish to report below is an image of a striking bright orange Velvet Sea Star. Most sea stars I’ve found are red or orange in colour, not just the velvet but also mosaic and biscuit sea stars, and this makes them easy to spot. The small sacks protruding from their bobbly skin, I’m told are like gills and assist with oxygen exchange. Like fish they extract the oxygen from the water, a reason why taking these creatures out of the water is fatal for them:

The fish that I spied in good sized shoals were Herring and Buff Bream, these would spot me and go round me. Then came along a large shoal of more sleek slivery looking fish, probably a thousand of them or more, and they were heading right for me. The school of White Trevally hung about unafraid of me and when I ducked dived down they circled me, only to continue on a more linear path as I went back up to the surface. Never seeming to be in a rush to get away allowing me lots of time to interact with them:

Past the Point 01 31-01-2021 Download

The six of us had seemed to go in different directions, Gav and Geoff were ready to nab a feed if they could. Catch bags and spear guns at the ready they scooted about duck diving up and down checking all the hidey holes. Rock lobsters were about, the long white antenna sticking far enough out to be seen from above gave them away, but they were hiding just deep enough in these rocky shelters to escape Gav and Geoff’s clutches. Even when Gav went back to the beach to grab his scuba gear allowing him to stay down longer and try that bit harder:

Lisa stayed close to shore, not usually one to go out to deeper water. Moni and Nana followed the boys for a while before going solo. While it may seem a little rude of me not to stick with Lisa, she wouldn’t have ventured out as far as me and in truth once you head is under water you really don’t communicate all that much. I did pop my head up occasionally to see where the others were and they were scatter about and usually far away, I was alternating between checking out the deeper water then heading to the reef:

Above I spied a very well camouflaged fish, with just its head poking above the weed carefully watching me. Hoping to sneak up on it and get a better image I was disappointed as it darted off, only allowing me a very quick look at the body shape and colouration. My guess is a Rainbow Cale, the same type of fish that got away from me near Canal Rocks. I’m was little surprised with the length of time I seemed to be spending in the water and the amount of ground that I was covering that I hadn’t managed to find too many other new fish or creatures:

With the water clarity I got some great images of Buff Bream, which seemed to follow me round almost as much as the Banded Sweeps, despite them keeping a healthier distance than the White Trevally. I also came across this very beautiful and curious Juvenile Moonlighter, this one being quite young. You can tell by the very distinct black dot with a yellow band round them, at the bottom and top of the anal and rear dorsal fins. As they get older the bottom one fades first and then eventually the top one also disappears:

With all the sheltered areas round this reef I found quite a few juvenile fish, but these ones were the most prolific. I came across them several times in large numbers, and haven’t seen them off my local beach. The deep abdomen with a body that tapers off to towards the tail, a relatively large eye and prominent dorsal fin makes me think they maybe young Bullseye. Quite different the juvenile Gobbleguts in my last fishy post, including having an orange spine. It is hard to get good image of small and transparent fish; the camera focuses on the background:

I had the same issue with this small creature, which was transparent for most of its body. I almost passed it by, but it looked a little different. As I watched it, this 1cm long animal looked to have five stegosaurus like plates sticking up and seemed to compress and then extend itself in a manner to allow it to propel its way through the water. I watched it for a while, even taking a video in which it was even more of blurred. Definitely one for me to have checked out by others, and I’m not even going to try and guess what it was.

My fingertips were finally starting to tingle and looking up everyone else was back on the beach, some had been there for a while now. Heading in I saw a flick of a tail and after searching the area I spotted the familiar head of a Wobbegong, or a carpet shark. I’ve seen them before but this is the first one this season, he came out of the weed and swam to a more secure place allowing me a great look at the markings making me sure it is a Spotted Wobbegong. It was then time to get out after my longest snorkel ever, having spent 2 hours in the water:

Precognition

Being woken by the alarm at 3:45 made me wonder what I was thinking when I said I would meet Howsie and Rongy up at Welly Dam for a before work climb. My mind nor body was ready for such a rude awakening and if it wasn’t for the full moon, most of the journey would have been in total darkness. That said the view back towards the lights of Bunbury, as I drove up the scarp was pretty specky. And as I got closer to the crag I could see light starting to creep into the sky from the east:

It felt like it was dark enough to use head torches as we pulled our harnesses on, but as Rongy made his way up the first few meters up the crag it either got lighter or our eyes were adjusting to the available light. By the time Rongy was coming back down Raging Torrent the morning had truly broken. Now climbing with three, while trying to squeeze the routes in before heading to work, means we have to be efficient in the way we climb. It was my lead next and I had already set the crate below my chosen route before Rongy had finished his route:

It started off as if all three of us were aging men. I was wondering how I would pull up after pulling plastic on Wednesday night, and with no one else turning up I bouldered by myself and in situation like that I am a little guilty of probably going too hard for too long with not enough rests. Rongy had been out on a big mountain bike ride just yesterday and Howsie had been rehearsing with his band to get ready for a gig this weekend. Despite each of us confessing to reasons we may be tired today, we still pulled the rope after every lead forcing each of us to lead every route:

I had picked BBQ. My thinking being that the first route would limber Howsie’s body up being a traditional style route with lots of three dimensional moves. Then BBQ would warm up the fingers with more technical moves on small holds. All of this was to prepare Howsie for his lead, which of course being 2021 was a grade 21. As he led up my route, he was looking pretty lethargic and I managed to not only run round to get some top down images but also run between the crag and the view over the reservoir as the sun finally popped over the horizon:

When I came back down there was no putting off the inevitable, Just Do It was next. As Rongy cleaned BBQ, Howsie did a quick mental check of the moves that lay ahead. Like an elite athlete he was not only going through the moves in his mind but also physically going through them with his arms. Despite Rongy and my initial, but admittedly short lived, gripes of being tired it would seem that drumming take more out of you than bouldering or mountain biking. We both fared better than Howsie on his chosen route:

Rongy was on fire, what’s new, as he then taunted Howsie by picking a second 21 for his next route… Silverback. A feisty start leading into a delicate and balancy second half, one that threatens to spit you off if you lack conviction or stall for just a moment too long. Rongy walked up it, so fast in fact that he was practically finished before I had cleaned the last route and had a chance to come over an snap an image. I stalled for a little too long on the slab and was spat off, and Howsie did the same claiming it was his chin that pushed him off:

We both got it on the next shot, which is good as Howsie at least managed to complete and tick of one grade 21 today. I really had no idea what to do next, so Rongy pointed me to Shock Therapy which I gobbled up in just a few minutes. If this is the result of bouldering by myself maybe I should do it more often? It was only at this point that I got to hear the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos. It was only very faint and they didn’t fly over us, but it still counts and I’m yet to climb here without hearing them:

Rongy managed another clean lead, claiming to have almost fallen off near the top, yeah right. Howsie meanwhile foresaw he would take a fall and resorted to seconding the route, as such with a rope above him when he took the fall that he had foreseen he didn’t go too far. By the end of it he was pretty knackered and so chose the short but fun Block and Tackle to polish off whatever strength was left in his arms. By now the sky was a glorious blue and the 3:45 alarm was forgotten and forgiven: