The Trap and the Rocks

Working with the enemy! An Angel-fish helps Blowfish to hunt.

Today I had quite a fright. A huge Angel fish, similar to the one seen here, was coming right up to me. It was within touching distance, floating slowly. It was mouthing something, and despite trying, I couldn't lip-read what it was telling me. I found myself entranced by this friendly little fellow, and watched carefully as he performed a little dance in the water! He floated, twirled, and spun gracefully!

It turned out to be just a distraction, because as I glanced to the side I saw the mother of all Blowfish swarms surrounding me. At least 20 of the vicious predators were about to strike. I managed to swim away quickly enough to avoid being bitten. If I had panicked, I may not have made it back to shore.

This is the first time I've seen this tactic used -- inter-species co-operation. The Angel fish is helping the Blowfish to catch their prey. This is very similar to the way that the Velociraptor hunted in the documentary "Jurassic Park". In this educational film, we can see the way that distraction, or "misdirection", is used to catch a victim.

So please be careful, if a harmless fish seems more friendly than usual -- maybe it just wants to say hello. Or maybe it's working in cahoots with the Blowfish "hive mind". Keep your wits about you!

Hunter! The Raptor perfected techniques still used by fish today

Here is an actual Velociraptor. Although it lives in the jungle rather than the ocean, it uses the same type of techniques. This is further proof that the fish is directly descended from the dinosaur (for the similarities between the trout and the dilophosaurus, check this previous Blog entry).

Also today, I had big problems trying to get in and out of the water. In the main ocean bit, away from the tidal pool, there are rocks. Because of the lapping tide, sand was being stirred up, and I couldn't see the rocks. I could easily have damaged my flippers as I stumbled across them. Getting out was worse, as I slipped on the rocks and embarrassingly fell face-down in 3-inch deep water. Fortunately everybody at the beach in the mornings is over 80 years old, so none of them had the eyesight to actually notice. But if anybody has any tips, please let me know. Thanks.

Although you all look up to me as your Mentor in snorkelling, I too have much to learn. "Learn much, must I, still to." as Yoda said.(Ultimate Yoda impression ).

-Gray

Blowfish Attack and the Friendly Fish

Quick entry before work today. I wanted to use the camera again as I'm returning it today. So my last photos for a while.

I was in the water at 7am today so the lighting isn't very good, but here you can clearly see video evidence of a Blowfish swarm. A swarm happens when the Blowfish are preparing to attack their prey. Generally they will swarm behind a snorkeller, either attracted by bits of dead skin or just the smell of warm flesh. But today there was an elderly gentleman standing still in the water. He was actually staring out to sea at a stingray and wasn't aware of the predators swarming around his legs. I managed to catch it on video. WARNING: These images may disturb some viewers. Discretion is advised.

So you can clearly see at least 10 Blowfish surrounding the victim. Incidentally, the so-called "stingray" was just a distant tail splashing into the water. I probably should have swum out and tried to get it on film.  Maybe next time.

Cauliflower coral. Not considered dangerous.

In other news -- here is a shot of some "cauliflower coral". It is not an aggressive variety of coral, and in fact can be approached and touched without any pain. You can learn more about my theory of coral attacks in my previous blog entry.












Finally here is a quick snap of a friendly little "zebrus angelica" or, as you will remember, "Zebra Angel fish". I have found that if you float still for a while, these little guys will become complacent and swim very close to you! It's great. The only downside is that any nearby Blowfish seem to assume you will be easy prey, and they will quickly begin circling closer to you.

Next entry, I'd like to take a look at some final photos, including the common "fat lipped trout".

Enjoy your snorkeling!

-Gray

Sunday afternoon snorkel

Yes I returned for a second snorkel of the day. This is primarily due to my lack of a social life, rather than an overwhelming love of snorkelling.

In any case, the wind had picked up and the clouds had rolled in. So not the best conditions. But luckily I went in anyway because I happened to spot my old friend -- Squiddly! Last seen on Thursday, with his friend (Squiddly #2), I spent a good few minutes swimming around with this little guy. Getting closer, you can really see the shimmering green that surrounds his eyes. I would presume this is some kind of defence mechanism, but I'm far too lazy to google it.

Sea Bass

The obvious question is, of course, where is his friend? I have no proof to back this up, but my gut instinct as an experienced sea-farer tells me that he has been eaten by a trout (see picture to the right, which may or may not be a trout).

The other big event of this afternoon's swim was a startling discovery about Blowfish! Now, you can expect a detailed entry on Blowfish later in the week, because they are by far the most numerous, pesky, and downright aggressive little fish in this part of the ocean. But for now let me share with you the amazing behaviour I witnessed with my own eyes -- the Blowfish eats shells! Yes, empty shells lying in the sand at the bottom of the ocean, are the primary diet for these little fish. As I watched, four Blowfish attacked a shell with Piranha-like ferocity.

A quick Google search taught me that Blowfish don't actually have teeth; instead they have evolved a "beak". No doubt this is perfect for gnawing away at old shells, like the "rodents of the sea" that they so clearly are. The damage that this beak could do to human flesh is open to speculation. No doubt, sooner or later, I will get bitten by a swarm of these critters. When that happens, I will post pictures of the injury(s) they inflict on me.

Photo courtesy of www.sodahead.com

I will leave you with a picture of a deadly Blowfish on the attack. Remember, consuming these fish can be fatal, so I assume any skin contact with them in the ocean can be just as deadly. Nature doesn't give you spikes like this unless you are able to use them.

Finally, do you know of any other good places to Snorkel in Perth? Please leave a comment below with any suggestions.