Just when you think you’ve had the best swim ever – it does get better!
This week has been amazing, and there is still one more day to go!
26c Forecasted today – The sun is high by the time we get to “work”
Speaking of work – Storchy’s Booty Camp is getting bigger and bigger – and yes… he’s talking it up folks.
There must’ve been at least 20 of them this morning.
Lucky Shaun is there to observe everyone’s form – or is he just slacking off again??
The early group had over 40!
Hi Pammy 🙂
For many, many people – this morning was to be the turning point.. that day where they say goodbye to Winter and hello to Summer.
It’s that day when they say “I’m leaving the wetsuit at home – I’m not even going to take it wth me… I’m rubber free at last… I’m gonna swim as God intended!”
What could possibly go wrong??
That’s it folks – 16.9c!
Ted has got this tempreature thing all worked out….. just bloody splash everyone and everything withing a 2km radius.
He’s also very popular at breakfast, with people forming a queue just to talk to him….
Today i was actually ready for the mullet at the point – they came up with their usual ambush…
Some clowning before we get going ….
3 mins later – Mauricio is like- “where did everyone go??”
Stop showing off Mauricio…
Here’s this week’s blog tart – Peta Bird…
One of the rarest shots ever – the Cormorant underwater!
Couple of days ago – the big Wobbie in between rocks at the point – looking all blue…
Everyone – a B&B friday blog exclusive!
Introducing Michelle Sparkes NEW Boyfriend……
We all saw her chasing him today…. Elaine’s got the shots…
This was Wednesday – The newest celebrity in the bay – The Bull Ray!
The Australian bull ray (Myliobatis australis) or southern eagle ray is a large eagle ray of temperate waters of Australia. It is possibly the same species as the New Zealand eagle ray (Myliobatis tenuicaudatus).[1]
It is found in the southern waters of Australia from Jurien Bay, Western Australia, around the southern coast and Tasmania and up the east coast as far as Moreton Bay, south Queensland. It is uncommon at its northern limits (Moreton Bay and northern New South Wales).[1]
At maturity, the body (not including tail) reaches about 80 cm in width and 45 cm in length for females and 65 cm width and 40 cm length for males. The maximum width known is about 160 cm[1] and total length (including tail) is 240 cm.[2] It can weigh up to at least 87 kg. [3] It has a blunt snout with eyes on the sides of the head. Its long, whip-like tail carries a venomous spine.[2]
It is commonly found off beaches and in shallow water over sand flats. Individuals often enter very shallow water around dusk. It is also found as deep as 85 m.[1][4]
It eats mainly crustaceans (hermit crabs, swimmer crabs and shrimp), molluscs, echiurid worms and polychaetes.[1]
The divers were down there today taking pics of something on the bottom –
I got down there and gave them a bit of a fright – which in turn gave me a bit of a fright …
The cuttlefish were over just out from the pool….
…and Toni spotted this catfish in about 25 feet out from the pool where the puffers all hang…
This is Libby Gilkes in Spain (Cape Finisterre) – Half your luck Libby!
This is what she wrote…
So, the Bold and Beautiful will go to the end of the earth for a swim!!
And our own blog tart of the week – Peta Bird, has made a beautiful baby blanket in the appropriate team colours and everything!
Today’s stats:
211 Swimmers!
8 Newbies (welcome!)
40+ Drinks Express!
16.9c Water!
5:37am Sunrise
5:54pm Sunset!
Phew – biggest blog for a while! Have a great weekend everyone!
Special Event – Monthly Dinner – Bluewater Cafe – Next Tuesday 1st October
At our monthly dinner next Tuesday night at Bluewater Cafe at 6.30 pm we will be launching the new B&B Attendance App! If you are tired of waiting in the queue to tick your name off, then the App is an exciting development. We will have a presentation to show you how you can log on from your phone/computer before you swim, without having to tick. Come along and find out all the details.
The dinner is also a great chance to catch up with your B&B friends at an informal gathering. The cost is excellent value at $20 for two courses, with $5 drinks, $5 desserts and no corkage for BYO wine. Bluewater also now offers $25 special meals in addition to our standard $20 deal.
Bookings are essential so book early HERE to avoid disappointment, as numbers will be limited to 100. Remember, the latest batch of 500 and 1000 km badges will also be presented, so it should be a HUGE night.
******
Staying safe
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.
29 comments
Bill McPherson
27/09/2013 at 11:34 am
Great photographs yet again Nick
We like to Move it Move it
27/09/2013 at 11:36 am
Lemur Run: 6
Including guest star, the Sabinator.
(If you want to see the most graceful and beautiful freestyle, Sabine is the one to watch. Even with an injury!)
Great pictures, beautiful day.
Nick D
27/09/2013 at 11:39 am
Thanks Bill 🙂
Vanessa
27/09/2013 at 11:42 am
Great blog Nick, I was so cold when I got out, an hour in the water was too long for me! Just about stopped the shivers!
Lindsay
27/09/2013 at 11:51 am
Gorgeous photos! How did you get such clear shots? I thought it was murkier this morning – maybe my goggs just need a really good clean….!
Would like to put in a request for warmer water tomorrow as Richard and I were planning a double. Let’s keep our fingers crossed 😉
Becks T
27/09/2013 at 12:01 pm
Ha ha…. love the surprised faces reading the temp!
Renae Fowler
27/09/2013 at 12:08 pm
Awesome Blog as usual Nick. Always loving seeing your pics. See ya soon cuddles.
Nick D
27/09/2013 at 12:12 pm
Hi Lindsay – I think you just have to get close to them… and if the light is behind you that helps too
Ros-e
27/09/2013 at 1:31 pm
I loved the shot of the cormorant in mid-dive! I’ve only ever seen them from above the water, so marvellous to see how sleek they look from below.
I will try for a pink cap pic from here in Nepal …
Elaine de Jager
27/09/2013 at 2:12 pm
Fantastic blog Nick! What a wonderful swim but we could say it was slightly better yesterday (Thursday, my blog day) because the water was warmer!!!! Swimming with that huge wobbegong with Sparkles following it was amazing to watch! Photos on Facebook soon!
Lips
27/09/2013 at 2:23 pm
Amazing pics Nick!
Saw the biggest Wobbie ever this morning. Just before Shelly. How big do they get?!
Happy 100k Helen!
Lesley on track for 1000k tomorrow. Roll out the red carpet!!!
lesles
27/09/2013 at 3:04 pm
i might not come…i might drag out my 999km for a bit longer ;-p
the peroxided lemur
27/09/2013 at 3:08 pm
Rumours abound
Is there something happening between you two cuddles?
John.S
27/09/2013 at 3:12 pm
Careful Bubbles, Shaun will be passing you within the week.
He’s on 657.5km and he’s befriended Lips and HKTQ.
John.S
27/09/2013 at 3:13 pm
Hi Ros-e
Booty Camps not the same without you.
Hope your having fun!
Nick D
27/09/2013 at 3:23 pm
I can only wish! 😉
The Submarine
27/09/2013 at 4:27 pm
Speaking of Shaun’s meteororic rise up the Pacific Challenge, with this new B&B app how are the Integrity Police going to stop virtual ticking from under the dooner and indeed other parts of the globe?
Jane
27/09/2013 at 4:44 pm
Couldn’t agree more with Bill – your photos just keep getting better and better!
Pacific Jules
27/09/2013 at 5:00 pm
The photos of the cormorant are outstanding !! They dive so fast, I’m so impressed with your photographic skills Nick… yes yes I know you have others too, but your photography is what blows me away 🙂
Just one thing !!! How come you turned the bay into a mud bath for my visit but it’s an aquarium on steroids for Michael’s !? Just saying… 😉
Jane
27/09/2013 at 5:18 pm
And Nick has scored again – Mark at the OzMus is going to add one of his pics of the “Bull Ray” to the OzMus Website!
Jane
27/09/2013 at 5:20 pm
I think it was our emotions boiling over for you Jules that churned the water up. (Now Michael is going to be offended at the clear conditions for him I suppose).
Nick D
27/09/2013 at 5:41 pm
Thanks Jules 🙂 x
It’s still a bit soupy out there though Jules – you can’t see all that much yet it has a ways to go… a couple of days of southerly swell with sort it out.
I just love how we seem to see something different every week.. one minute it’s squid, the next it’s a big ray – maybe we should keep our secret quiet or the whole world will be down here…
Jane
27/09/2013 at 5:44 pm
It seems as if most of the world is down here already – I was nearly squashed in the rush from Shelly!
Lips
27/09/2013 at 6:55 pm
HKTQ, if you read this.. just had an amazing idea for a new online business.
Lets talk offline.
LSA aka HKTQ
27/09/2013 at 7:34 pm
Nothing will stop Shaun taking over the lead of the PC before too long! You can see in Booty Camp how he always keeps a careful eye on the competition and eliminates them one by one!
Go Shaun!
Love the X-special peroxide treatment for Booty Camp Leader!
LSA aka HKTQ
27/09/2013 at 7:38 pm
Yep! Can even be run from under the dooner in Hong Kong…. Ok off-line for the fine details.
Talking of which, very shocked to hear Baby Jane is leaving again before I get back! Baby Jane, what about all those boulderdashes? Hope you’re back for month of December!
LSA aka HKTQ
27/09/2013 at 7:42 pm
Agree – photography amazing “Oh, stop it!” Nick:-)))
Also agree – we got the mud bath with you. Which date do you return, Jules? Just hoping we don’t both jinx it again!
Pacific Jules
27/09/2013 at 7:50 pm
Good point Sarah, I think we should keep our arrival as a surprise. Thats seems to be the trick 😉
Neil Richardson
28/09/2013 at 6:18 am
B&B is getting around in the UK as well! I was at Broad Haven (Pembrokeshire, west Wales) having had to go to those parts yesterday for work purposes. I swam just under 3k in 2 spells without wetsuit, not sure of sea temp but probably about 15 deg C. This comes after the Dart 10k swim on the 14th and finishing the non-tidal Thames last week!
Envious of you all, especially at this time of year, hope to come back to Manly sometime.