# More Underwater Photos and a Video this time.



## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

Went out for another dive yesterday after work due to the stinking hot weather we're having. The water was absolutely flat calm and so, quite clear. 
Took a couple more pictures, but spent most of the time taking video.

So, here's just some of the life I see when I'm out for a dive, searching for Lobster:






(If anyone can ID the first fish in the video, I'd love to know what they are. I only see them when I dive and have never caught one whilst fishing. They are between 30-60cm and their colour ranges from as you see it in the video to a real grey/white mottled look.)

Here's a few of the piccies that I did take...

Some sweep:









More sweep, this time in front of a ledge that I would (and did) dive underneath to get to the crays:









To give you an idea of how far back the ledge goes underneath, usually only my legs and often only my flippers would be visible from this angle if I was foraging for crays.









Oh, and I did manage to get a nice cray:








Weighed 3kg, equalling my personal bests from earlier in the year.

Did I say a cray? Sorry, meant to say 4 crays:








Along with the 3kg one, the others were 1.8kg, 1.4kg and 1.1kg.

Very happy with that score.

Cheers,
Paul.

P.S. The song in the video is "Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by Dream Academy (From the Ferris Bueller soundtrack)


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## kas (May 5, 2009)

Very nice video & crays Paul, what camera do you use?


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## HORTO85 (Sep 28, 2007)

hey Paul, nice crays well done.
i think the first fish is a Eastern Kelpfish (_Chironemus marmoratus_), its hard to tell from the vid but it could also be a Rock Cale (_Aplodactylus lophodon_). have you got any photos of them?. i think its the Kelpfish but not 100%.

cheers Luke


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

Kas, the camera is a Sony T900 with a marine housing.

Luke, it could be a kelpfish, although the eyes and lips don't quite like right in the photos that google produces on a search. I'll try and get a better photo of one next time I'm out. Meanwhile, I'll try and extract a decent still from the video I took.

Thanks for the praise and help so far.


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

This is the best I could extract from the videos:


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## HORTO85 (Sep 28, 2007)

hmmmm by the looks of that think we can rule out the kelpfish. Looks like some sort of Aplodactylidae by the shape of the head the rock cale doesn't fit either but closer than the kelpfish. Aplodactylus arctidens - Marble Fish/stinky groper http://www.woodbridge.tased.edu.au/mdc/ ... e_fish.htm head shape fits, tail fits, three dark patches along the back. think you'll have to spear one and eat it to confirm :lol:


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

Ah yes, that looks more like it. Think I'm glad that I haven't speared one and tried it, judging by the description.

Thanks again for your help, Luke. Gold star for you.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

mcbigg, sensational again. we get sweep up here on the outer reefs but just a muddy grey.

i remember bush tucker man saying catching crays and having them flapping their tails brought the sharks around. what do you do to prevent this.

cheers pete


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

grinner said:


> mcbigg, sensational again. we get sweep up here on the outer reefs but just a muddy grey.
> 
> i remember bush tucker man saying catching crays and having them flapping their tails brought the sharks around. what do you do to prevent this.
> 
> cheers pete


In 7 years of catching crays the only sharks I've come across have been wobbegongs, which frequent the same ledges as the crayfish. And they've shown no interest at all in the crays.

I've heard of them attracting sharks too, however, they actually don't flap their tails too much. They might give one or two 'kicks' if you hold them by their carapace but generally settle down once they work out they can't go anywhere. After that, they're in the catch bag and unable to flap, even if they wanted to. The big one in the photo above wouldn't fit in the bag with the other three, so I transported him by holding his tail (which prevents the flapping anyway) and having his body on my forearm with him gripping my arm tightly with his legs. Like at the end of this video:




I have several new scars on my arm now from the big cray digging its needle sharp feet into my forearm. But it's worth it!


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## chris58 (Nov 25, 2007)

you lucky S.O.B!
bet you have some "new" friends when they see that lot on the cooker!
green lobster tails sell for $75. a kg. here at Newcastle co op.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Awesome crays McBigg. 



HORTO85 said:


> hmmmm by the looks of that think we can rule out the kelpfish. Looks like some sort of Aplodactylidae by the shape of the head the rock cale doesn't fit either but closer than the kelpfish. Aplodactylus arctidens - Marble Fish/stinky groper http://www.woodbridge.tased.edu.au/mdc/ ... e_fish.htm head shape fits, tail fits, three dark patches along the back. think you'll have to spear one and eat it to confirm :lol:


Spot on with that ID Horto, they are also known as Southern Sea Carp. I (along with many other spearos I know) learned the hard about the eating qualities of that fish.


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## Rhino (Dec 17, 2007)

Ahhh, how's the serenity? I'm going to watch it again in the pool room.

Just beautiful McBigg. Both the vid and photos.  8)


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

chris58 said:


> bet you have some "new" friends when they see that lot on the cooker!
> .


lol, yeah, new friends and old friends who suddenly get a whole lot closer around the summer time.

And Rhino, the serenity is great, or maybe it's just the vibe of the thing that gets me every time.


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## harrip94 (Sep 30, 2009)

stuff paul. it was preety wicked when ya showed us all ya diving pics and videos in class lol


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## soggypilchard (Dec 1, 2008)

Hey Chris, cool pics mate
hey any tips for a budding lobby diver? i know where some ledges are that have nests of lobsters, but cant get up the courage to get under the ledge where morey eels and octopus usually reside aswell (i assume).
any tips on not provoking and getting the attention of an eel or other nasties?
cheers
Marcus


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

soggypilchard said:


> Hey Chris, cool pics mate
> hey any tips for a budding lobby diver? i know where some ledges are that have nests of lobsters, but cant get up the courage to get under the ledge where morey eels and octopus usually reside aswell (i assume).
> any tips on not provoking and getting the attention of an eel or other nasties?
> cheers
> Marcus


Hi Marcus, 
I assume you're asking me (Paul). 
I don't get morey eels down here. We apparently get conger eels but I've never seen one. 
I see the occasional big octopus, but they've never done anything apart from try to escape. Even when I have a bit of a play with them and try to get photos (I've had one wrapped around my head:








), I've never felt in danger from them. 
Another pic of how placid they can be:









The things I'm most weary of under the ledges are the Wobbegong (carpet) sharks and the sting rays. I stumble across both quite frequently, and while neither are naturally aggressive towards us, they can be startled and will take off in a hurry if they are. Both are capable of inflicting decent wounds if they are cornered or provoked, so it's just a matter of trying not to do so. 
So, in answering your question; Don't just dive straight under the ledge on the first go. Dive to the edge of the ledge, and take a peak under it first. If you can see a stingray, wobby, eel or anything else that might take a lump out of you, choose a different ledge. If there's nothing but crays, go up (if snorkeling) , get a breath and then go back down and get a lobby. This also gives you a chance to scope out where the bigger lobby is and give you a good indication which side to try and get him from.

Sometimes it's better to leave a decent cray be, if it means you'll keep your arm. For example, there was no way known I was going to reach my arm past this 7 foot long wobbegong, even if there was a 3kg+ crayfish behind it:









Hope these tips have helped build your confidence a little.

Cheers,
Paul.


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

G'day McB

Nice stuff -- very informative. Some time ago I had figured that you were probably a school teacher and now one of your pupils, an AKFF member, has apparently confirmed that  .

I've just acquired a quality camera with dive-standard underwater housing so I reckon I'll be back into the snorkelling but this time recording fish images instead of shooting the fish. Should be good to have a yak to snorkel from, too.

Thanks for all of your great posts.

Kev


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

sunshiner said:


> G'day McB
> 
> Nice stuff -- very informative. Some time ago I had figured that you were probably a school teacher and now one of your pupils, an AKFF member, has apparently confirmed that  .
> 
> ...


The secrets out now. I'll have to act all respectable and responsible and stuff. Ah well. lol.

Probably a little my fault that the lad's gotten into kayak fishing as well. After bombarding him with pictures and videos of it for the couple of years I had him for.

I look forward to seeing some of your underwater shots from up your way.

Paul.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

mate , great shots as per usual. i'm not sure if its the flash or if wobbys adjust their colour but the ones up here seem a darker shade of brown.

interestingly i once saw a big one cruising along an inch under the surface and quite fast so they dont always stay on the bottom. luv the pics

l8r pete


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## soggypilchard (Dec 1, 2008)

Thanks for the advice Paul, sorry about calling you chris, was trying to post on here while the boss was in the bathroom at work and not looking, we sit right next to each other.
That has given me some confidence, see while looking for cool stuff for my marine tank in and around rock pool places i have found that there are usually heaps of life like eels that you don't know are there until you put some food out that they smell. 
ie feeding an octopus some squashed up shells and an eel comes out of nowhere (two small stones) and snatches the meat.
but i guess its just like you said, take your time to suss it out.


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