24/1/14 – The Charge of the Pink Brigade!

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Today, as a special treat, we have the legend of the Pink Brigade, the story of 177 brave swimmers who, against the odds, swam into a rumoured tide of a thousand (or maybe less) bluebottles brought in on the NE swell…

The morning dawned like any other …. (actually above average I’d say…)

Two ladies – practicing their friday night pub conversation..

Some crazy people on the beach – we are so inclusive here, I love it!

At the front lines, the conversation was about one thing….

Rumour had it….

But we laugh! … we laugh at your stingers! … we laugh at Andrew Thomas’s jokes… (actually, no, forget the last bit)

Sarah showed everyone her fin chop … (not a BB sting)

 Ted had his earplugs in, so he missed all the talk and kept smiling…

(With apologies to Lord Tennyson…)

To the Point, to the point, to the point-  onward,

All in the tide of Bluebottles, Swam the Hundred and Seventy Seven.

‘Forward, the Pink Brigade! Charge for the guns’ he said

Into the Tide of Bluebottles  Swam the Hundred and Seventy Seven.

‘Forward, the Pink Brigade!’ Was there a person dismay’d?

Not tho’ the swimmers knew, Some one had blunder’d:

Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why,  Theirs but to do and die:

Into the Tide of Bluebottles swam the hundred and seventy seven!

Rocks to right of them, Seaweed to left of them,

Stingers in front of them float’d and bob’d;

Storm’d at with wave and swell, Boldly they swam and well,

Into the jaws of the Nor’easter, Into the mouth of s(Hell)ey swam the hundred and seventy seven.

Flashed all their teeth bare, photobombing as they turned in air

Gathered the swimmers there, charging an Army while,

All the World wonder’d Plunged in the salt water

Right thro’ the line they broke: Supermodels and wannabees

Reel’d from the freestyle stroke,  Shatter’d and sunder’d

Some looked back, but not the hundred and seventy seven

Integrity police are searching for these two photobombing suspects….

Hi Stace! 🙂

Sparkles was telling everyone how she’s been working out.. nice muscles there Sparks! 

I’ve been waiting to see this appear one day….

Stingers to the right of them, Stingers to the left of them

Shore break behind them – Volley’d and thunder’d

Storm’d at with tentacle and shell, While bootycamper and jogger fell

They that had swum so well, Came thro’ the jaws of Death

Back  from the Beach of Shell, all that was left of them

Left of the hundred seventy seven…

Guess who 😉

A stripy goat fish…

Many species of goatfishes are conspicuously coloured; however, they are not popular in aquaria. Rather, they are valued food fish in many countries. The largest species, the dash-and-dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus) grows to 55 cm in length; most species are less than half this size. Their bodies are deep and elongated with forked tail fins and widely separated dorsal fins.^[1]

Perhaps their unpopularity among fishkeepers can be attributed to their feeding habits: Goatfishes are tireless benthic feeders, using a pair of long chemosensory barbels (“whiskers”) protruding from their chins to rifle through the sediments in search of a meal.^[1] Like goats, they seek anything edible; worms, crustaceans, molluscs and other small invertebrates are staples.

Our old mate – bluey – came out to watch the charge….

When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder’d.

Honour the charge they made! Honour the Pink Brigade,

Noble one hundred! (and seventy seven)

Stats:

Swimmers: 177!

Newbies: 11!

Water: 21.8c

Sunrise: 6:08am

Sunset: 8:05pm

Have a great weekend – see you at Shelley Beach tomorrow! – Brigadier General Nick D

Remember that there are no badges for scaring yourself silly! While it is great to extend your boundaries, it is important to know your limits. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here