I arrived super early this morning (well, for me), only to be told that there had been a cargo ship full of ice run aground off Manly, causing a dramatic drop in the sea temperature; 2 degrees! It didn’t seem to phase anybody, so I brushed it off and thought ‘what a great story this will be!’
The message spread quite quickly, but then I heard amongst the whispers, that a fisherman had spotted a 15 foot shark out past the point. This was too much. I’m going back to bed! These guys were seen contemplating whether or not they back up for the challenge.
The lovely cake stall ladies, raising funds for the Banyaka Lower Basic School in The Gambia (more on this at the bottom) – pretty pleased with themselves and their decision to stay on dry, sharkless land.
Ian demonstrated how he would react if he came face to face with the Loch Manly Monster. (But seriously, if anybody lost these goggles with an awesome light attached to them, see management).
Several keen beans decided to capture this rare occasion with a cheeky selfie, sure to be telling their grandchildren one day about the icy, shark infested waters they so lovingly swam in.
I was shocked to see so many people risking their lives in the waters. Perhaps they hadn’t heard about the 15 foot shark? Should I warn them? Nah.
Caroline and Anne did not seem put off by the prospects of never returning. Caroline was determined to get her 500km in, shark or no shark (and that she did, well done Caroline!)
I noticed a lot of people went rogue at the point and didn’t stop. It must be because it was so cold, and for fear of the shark. You know what they say, safety in numbers. Or shark food in numbers, it’s all the same. This bunch of swimmers (who I’ve been told are really cool blokes) looked really calm and happy. I assumed they hadn’t been told about the shark.
I was right. They hadn’t. They decided the best survival plan was to get under the water and try not to look edible. I think it worked…
Everybody was stoked to have made in to Shelly in one piece.
Especially Caroline, who did not swim her arms off for 3 years to make her 500km, only to have a giant shark ruin the party. Caroline, 1. Shark, 0.
I asked these lovely ladies if they could send a message to the shark, what would it be. Peace. Nice one, Lisa.
Everybody enjoyed the swim back to manly – the sun was breaking through the clouds and there was finally hope that the 2 degree temperature would start to rise and we would soon be on dry land.
I was too busy soaking up the sun and endangering my life to capture Caroline’s arch of triumph, but it did happen and it looked spectacular.
Stats
310 swimmers (all survived)
2 newbies
21.8 degrees
0 sightings of a 15 foot shark
0 people gullible enough to buy the April Fools’ Day prank.
The cake stall today was for the Banyaka Lower Basic School in The Gambia, to provide basic supplies for their education. All of the money raised will go directly into the school bank account. We have raised around $1,500 already from the cake stall and donations. Leftover cakes will be on sale tomorrow at the Badge Ceremony. Anyone wanting to donate money can see Pauline or email her at paulineforster8@gmail.com
B & B Monthly Dinner– Are you swimming with Elasmobranchs?
The next B&B monthly dinner will be on Tuesday 11th April at 6.30 pm at Bluewater Restaurant. Our guest speaker on the night will be Sian Liddy, a Marine Science student at the University of New South Wales, who will pose the question: are you swimming with Elasmobranchs?
Sian is looking for citizen scientists to engage with a research program she is running as part of an Internship with the Manly Environment Centre. The research aims to use non-invasive methods to assess elasmobranch biodiversity in the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve. So come along to find out how you can be a part of this exciting new project.
The cost of the dinner is only $25 a head and includes shared entrees, a selection of mains to choose (incl a vegetarian option), corkage (for byo wine only). Glasses of beer or wine and desserts are also available at the special price of only $5 each. Numbers are limited, so bookings are essential: To avoid disappointment and secure your spot please BOOK HERE NOW.
18 comments
Anne E
01/04/2017 at 12:56 pm
Welcome to blogging, Laura! Great start! And that’s not an April Fools joke!
Lisa B
01/04/2017 at 1:08 pm
Brilliant blog Laura! What a fabulous start to your blogging career! Great photos and sense of humour throughout. Glad to see you back swimming again and hope the shoulder improves.
LSA aka HKTQ
01/04/2017 at 4:11 pm
Laura, very professional and excellent first blog! Those last 3 pics are beautiful in the early morning sun….
Lovely swim, lots of duskies around the Point these days!
Shelley K
01/04/2017 at 4:59 pm
Thanks Laura, great work, beaut pics, but sharks are no laughing matter (except for our lovely duskies of course)! But I guess we have to expect such jolly japery from a circus gal.
Congratulations Caroline, it’s been wonderful to share some of those 500ks with you and your fully wetsuited form
Suzie P
01/04/2017 at 6:30 pm
Awesome first blog, really enjoyed it! 🙂
JK
01/04/2017 at 8:32 pm
Nice one Laura, thanks for blogging
DWSS
02/04/2017 at 5:00 am
Smashed it Laura!!!
Tori G
02/04/2017 at 9:06 am
Excellent blog! Great humour, well done! 😁
Lips
02/04/2017 at 12:02 pm
Love your work Laura!!!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 2:59 pm
Thanks Anne!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:00 pm
Thanks Lisa! Was so lovely to see you yesterday – am determined to have no more injuries!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:01 pm
Thank you! The sun rising on the return was so beautiful, I stayed in the water far longer than I anticipated just to watch it 🙂
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:02 pm
Luckily April 1st only comes around once a year, but you definitely can’t take the circus out of the girl 😉 Was such a beautiful morning!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Suzie 🙂
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:03 pm
Thank you 🙂
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:03 pm
I try haha next one I’ll tell a story of all the lies you’ve told me at the whiteboard!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:03 pm
Thanks Tori!
Laura Newton
02/04/2017 at 3:04 pm
Thanks! 🙂