Today, the sky was grey and cloudy and rain showers fell intermittently, sometimes lightly and other times in heavy droplets that bounced off the balcony table and back into the air.  The ocean was unusually calm making surfing futile, but it seemed perfect for snorkeling.  So I slipped into my wetsuit, grabbed my GoPro and snorkel and strolled down the beach to the serene waters of Cabbage Tree Bay.  A few intrepid swimmers in their budgy smugglers were already coming out of the water.  I am always impressed by the men and women that swim between Manly and Shelley Beach.  Going there and back is 1.5km or about a mile and they do it every day, rarely wearing wetsuits but instead seeming to prefer speedos or budgy smugglers as they are known here.   Anyway, it was fairly cold out and I was quite happy to be in my wetsuit.  The ocean looked relatively peaceful, but large clumps of seaweed had washed ashore which usually happens after a storm.  I wondered how the visibility would be since this is usually a bad sign.  As I waded out into the ocean though, I could easily see the sand below the water.  I strapped on my snorkel mask and dove below the surface.  The visibility was fantastic!  Even when the rain fell, the water below remained as clear as glass.  Only the surface would shimmer and glisten, as the light reflected off each droplet.   The underwater world was teeming with life and I was excited to explore every nook and cranny. 

Check out the short video below!! 

While schools of fish are best viewed on video, I have also captured some still shots below along with my notes and some interesting facts on these creatures.    

Eastern Fiddler Ray/ Banjo Ray

I am always excited to see these impressive rays!  Taxonomically, Eastern Fiddler Rays fall within the family of guitarfish (Rhinobatidae) and are cartilaginous fish like sharks.  When they swim the back half of their body undulates from side to side like a shark while the front half seems to resemble a more typical ray.  Since rays are thought to have descended from sharks and fiddler rays are one of the oldest types of rays, it makes sense that they might appear someone in between.  Eastern Fiddler Rays have a very distinct pattern of light lines with dark edges that is quite striking.   They have two large dorsal fins on their tails and a fairly large caudal fin (the fin at the end of their tail).   They are ovoviviparous meaning their method of reproduction is in between egg laying and live birth.  The egg grows and hatches within the mother and then she gives birth to live rays.  In some types of fiddler rays, each egg can contain three embryos!  Isn’t that strange?  

Red Morwong 

Typically, when I see this fish it’s just a burst of crimson that flashes by and I really don’t get a very good look.  However, this time, I think I captured one fairly well on video.  Beyond their vibrant appearance, these fish are apparently only found in the south western Pacific Ocean, primarily along the coast of Australia and New Zealand.

Sea Mullet/ Flathead Grey Mullet  

Even though I regularly see them, I am always delighted to do so.  They are nearly always in the same location amongst several massive smooth grey boulders and they gather in large schools, hovering between the rocks.  When I dive down into their midst, the whole school circles around me in a beautiful silvery spectacle.  They are always so close but just out of reach and when you view them from below they shimmer against the light coming down from the surface.  Interestingly, sea mullet are euryhaline, which means they can adapt to various levels of salt in the water.  In practical terms, this means they can live both in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and estuaries.  They migrate back to the ocean and aggregate into enormous schools in order to spawn.  Unfortunately, both the fish and the roe (eggs/caviar) are apparently fairly good to eat and very easy to catch during the spawning season so fishermen pull them in by the netload. 

Yellowtail Scad

The schools of Yellowtail Scad feel like gold and silver waves that break around you and encircle you.  It’s such a gorgeous sight to see.  Apparently, during the spawning season one female Yellow Scad can lay over 160,000 eggs!   Isn’t that incredible?  If they all survived that would be one heck of a school and they would all be siblings!  Talk about a big family.

Kapalensis Stingaree?

Ok, so I am actually not sure if what I saw was a Kapalensis Singaree or a Common Stingaree.   They both look very similar to me.  I think it was probably a Common Stingaree in all probability.  Anyway, they both have a stinging spine behind their dorsal fin so best not to look too closely.  

Eastern Blue Groper

I almost always see an Eastern Blue Groper but they usually swim away fairly quickly.  This one looked me right in the eye and kept chewing whatever he was eating.  He seemed very at peace and tranquil.  Interestingly, all Eastern Blue Gropers start out as female but then change into males as they grow larger and after they have mated at least once.  The females are actually brownish/red and only change to the royal blue when they turn into males during the second phase of their lives.  I don’t know their mating habits but I usually find them in isolated pairs, one male and one female.  They are believed to be quite intelligent since they are able to flip sea urchins upside down to avoid the spines and then crack them open which seems to exhibit problem solving. 

Little Pied Cormorants

Little Pied Cormorants perch on the rocks near the shore like miniature sentinels with black mohawks/ mullets.  They particularly like this area in Cabbage Tree Bay and you can easily see why.  Expert fishermen, they propel themselves through the water with astonishing speed and agility.  However, their dives times are actually quite short at 15-20 seconds long.  They quickly dive down to snatch their unsuspecting prey from above and then they gobble the prey down on the surface.   

Summary

As I resurfaced, leaving behind the underwater wonderland, I marveled at the beauty and complexity of life beneath the waves. Cabbage Tree Bay had once again revealed its hidden treasures, reminding me of the infinite mysteries awaiting exploration in the depths below.

So, fellow adventurers, heed the call of the ocean, embrace the rain and the waves, and dive headfirst into the unknown.