83 Bold & Beautiful swimmers enjoyed an extra special swim this morning !
Just when you think it can’t possibly get any better… !!
The morning started off the same as all of our beautiful morning swims; clear skies, calm seas and lots of happy swimmers
Some of whom even found the point 😉
Before we set off together for a beautiful, tranquil swim across the bay
To then gather for our second stop, as always, to wait for everyone at Shelly
Before our swim back to brekkie.
But… this swim back was oh so different… it started with Elaine de Jager screaming for someone with a camera as she had seen something amazing…
Two Port Jackson’s courting, then locking in to mate, at least that’s what we presume they’re doing !
WOW !!!! Now this really would have to be a rare treat to see this. It truly was AMAZING. They just laid there stationary, only their gills moving in and out as they breathed.
You can see from the photo below that the little shark has hold of the bigger shark’s pectoral fin with his mouth, he looks like he has tiny little teeth on his bottom jaw too.
Francois was with us so I just had to lend him my camera so he could get a couple of photos for us too… somehow I just knew they would be better than mine (see below) 🙂 What is in that French gene ??
What a privilege to see this and what beautifully detailed photos too. WOW WOW WOW !!!
Oh and like anything else mattered at all this morning… there were a couple of jimbles around, but not so many. And for those of you who were wondering who Francios is, that’s him in the second photo below with the jimbles.
Graham and David enjoyed the pre-dawn lap and Joe, John and Michael the double afterwards.
Sandy went to work on the fast ferry this morning and saw a mother and calf whale heading towards Balmoral. James has just rung to say they are now leaving the harbour, close to the headland and making their way to Manly (10.30am), so if you’re around it could be worth a look !!
Fingers crossed we’ll be lucky again this year and have a mother and calf swim with us again. We are doing pretty well with our marine experiences so far this winter, but of course we can handle more 🙂
Someone has accidentally gone home with Ian’s pink B&B cossie from the men’s public changing room this morning. If you find you have them please could you let us know, otherwise we might have to see Ian in the… black tomorrow and that wouldn’t be good.
Coming Up… Hammer the Hutt and Flog the Dog marathon swim in Cabbage Tree Bay on Saturday 28th July… Ben and Collie plan to swim for around 12 hours (~6am-6pm) with mostly in water feeds as part of their Solo English Channel training. Ben and Collie would love the company of any B&B swimmer who would care to join them for one or multiple laps throughout their epic day.
Thank you in advance to Lesley for tomorrow’s blog 🙂
Water Temperature 16.8
Air Temperature 9.0
Sunrise 6.57am
Sunset 5.06pm
High Tide: 7.00am
Low Tide: 12.34pm
To read Michael’s tips on how to stay safe in the surf please click here
16 comments
Lucy
17/07/2012 at 11:10 am
Poor little Port Jacksons, just trying to get jiggy in peace!! Great pics Jules!! xx
fifi
17/07/2012 at 11:15 am
That was truly amazing, but I felt so guilty peering at them in their moment of intimacy! so strange to see their private underparts!
Francois and Gaetan are just such champion photogapheurs, but Jules you do a pretty splendid job too!
Oh and happy to do a lap with collie and co.
Michael [EX CI]
17/07/2012 at 11:50 am
Me too! I’m happy to ‘hammer the Hutt’ or ‘flog the dog’.
lesley
17/07/2012 at 11:58 am
Oh man where do I start!
When I arrived to see the 2 port Jacksons I thought it was 2 dead sharks and the bold and beaut swimmers were laughing at them!! But once I realised I was so relieved…and then in awe we got to see this rare event! All sets of photos were so clear…better than being there.
I particularly liked the photo of francois and the jimbles..really great photo Jules…calendar shot I reckon! 🙂
Is that Ian Forsters budgies that went missing?? Poor dude whoever took them, Ian has worn them everyday for a year and had never washed them! Lol
Sharon
17/07/2012 at 12:03 pm
Wow! PJ’s mating is fantastic to see, but alas I didnt as I was to busy travelling on the ferry viewing the baby Whale instead!!!Such a great day to live in Manly! We are very lucky.
See you all tomorrow 😉
John
17/07/2012 at 12:09 pm
Great shark pics,hope they didn’t mind people watching.
Also happy to join Collie and Ben for a lap or two.
Little Sarah
17/07/2012 at 12:25 pm
Fabulous pics of the PJs and the Jimbles! Great job,film crew.
John
17/07/2012 at 12:28 pm
A case of promiscuous ports and a punctured pectoral
Gaetan
17/07/2012 at 12:59 pm
wow amazing ADULTS ONLY pictures today!!! 🙂
Rainer
17/07/2012 at 1:03 pm
So annoyed I missed this morning.. Mating sharks and all!
Jimbles stings from Monday had my face swelling up, so decided to give it a days rest. Will definitely try and join again tomorrow!
Elaine de Jager
17/07/2012 at 1:06 pm
How exciting! Aly and I got to see them ‘loving up’ before they got really close too. Very cute! Just as fear of the jimbles was setting in we were rewarded by seeing something as magical as this! Thanks for the photos guys!
Little Sarah
17/07/2012 at 1:16 pm
Missed you Rainer…tomorrow!
If it’s any comfort to anyone, even Elaine of “I’ve never been stung by a jimble” copped it today. After seeing the PJ mating dance, she wasn’t complaining:-)
Alyson
17/07/2012 at 1:41 pm
port jacksons were amazing but I did get “jimbled” I swum through a swarm of them! Thanks for the warm hugs Myles when we got out 🙂
Slow Ian
17/07/2012 at 4:57 pm
What? No sympathy for the poor dude who has had his budgies smuggled? Might have to bring out the mankini tomorrow – then you’ll be sorry!
James L
17/07/2012 at 7:57 pm
So it is not just the jimbles giving out love bites in Cabbage Tree Bay. Such a happy place.
iain
17/07/2012 at 9:36 pm
A lap or two of what John? Swimming or what the PJ’s were doing?