HAMMERHEAD SHARK - NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND

Some of this shark's pups survived and were filmed in the process of escaping



fathom2009 on 05.01.09 @ 09:54 AM AEST [link]

HAMMERHEAD SHARKS SEEN OFF SYDNEY BEACHES

"The hammerheads were eating a large squid until we chased them away"
An near-hysterical reaction to a couple of sharks having a feed off Bondi Beach last weekend. The life savers took the squid ashore and buried it - instead of taking it further out to sea where it might do a better job of feeding something.

"The sharks are close to shore because the clear water is attracting more fish" said that National Parks spokesman.

It's all great for newspaper sales. The sharks are back! Yes and they're eating people this time.

So much for the endangered species hysteria coming from well-meaning but ill-informed marine researchers. The media swallow that bait every time.

The big problem, more and more new laws giving more and more power to those zealous fisheries inspectors.

They'll fine a kid for having an undersized bream while a prawn trawler might destroy a tonne of undersized fish on any day of work. Double standards.

Meanwhile sightings of large white pointers off beaches are occurring daily off Adelaide (SA) and Perth (WA).



fathom2009 on 05.01.09 @ 09:51 AM AEST [link]

SHARKS - FRONT PAGE NEWS TODAY

Summer shark sightings, east coast beaches

Watching TV news reports from reliable sources like ABC made me realize again how little shark knowledge is widely understood by reporters, and public relations wildlife officers. Then again when 'news' is reduced to 10 second grabs what can be expected?

I asked Peter Bristow to comment on his knowledge of white pointers sharks jumping clear of the water while attacking prey. I was wondering if these spectacular on film jumps were a newly learned behavior by the sharks. None of the reference books on sharks had, until recently, covered this aspect of the shark.

How informative books and magazines of the past had missed reporting on white sharks jumping mystified me.



SHARK FISHERMEN OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
Peter Bristow writes:

I didn’t go shark fishing with Bob Dyer but was close to him at the time, and to all the old boys in the Moreton Bay Game Fishing Club. Most of us were members of the old Royal Queensland Yacht Club too.

We got to see the latest film footage of shark fishing at the game club meetings. I was a member of both clubs.

The best stuff was 16mm B&W by Bill Fulham and Tom Fanning. They had action of whites in the air, just you see in the material with their feeding on seals today.

They all had good jump footage but I don’t think anyone outside the club meeting ever got to see it.

Whites can jump like Mako sharks (aka blue pointer shark) when hooked if they are in the mood. That was common knowledge amongst those guys.

I was honestly not interested in shark fishing spending all my time at Point Lookout catching mackerel and black king.

Something those guys knew nothing about.

The Great Whites came up the coast with the sea mullet shoals in May. I lived at Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island, and saw it all.

This migration coincided with humpback whales on their annual passage north to the GBR for their calving season.

When the whaling started along the coast at Byron Bay and Tangalooma, (on Moreton Island) it was a natural course of events for the whites to home-in on the action.

Before long there was a good concentration of whites (waiting for them) off Cape Moreton where the humpbacks passed fairly close to the coast.

The dead (harpooned) whales were towed into Yellow Patch and buoyed ready for towing to Tangalooma, (whale processing factory) on the bay side of the island.

Yellow Patch was where most of the shark fishing was done in relatively calm water.

They used large chunks of whale meat to attract the sharks. This practice was soon frowned upon by the international sport fishing people resulting in mammal flesh being banned for attracting sharks.

The results of this fishing technique were so astounding that records created by Bob and Dolly Dyer (Radio and then TV quiz show celebrity hosts and big game fishermen) during that early period have never been beaten.

Twenty years ago, the Great Whites were still frequenting Cape Moreton. The last time I was fishing there, two were behind the boat, both very big fish.

One shark that Bob wanted was a legend in the area. The chaser ships would anchor at Yellow Patch for the night and this great thing would come and lay along side.

The big shark apparently liked the warm water from the boilers. Norwegian chaser ships named KOS 1 and KOS 2 were oil-fired steam so there was always plenty of warm water.

They estimated this shark to be between 4000 and 5000 lb. It would never take the bait.

Bob (Dyer) had hook and bait in front of it on more than one occasion without result. They called it Big Ben

Thinking about the chap eaten in WA the other day and after reading Ron's comments; I guess the poor chap did not have time to push the thing away!

I had actually met him while in WA years ago. Copyright. Peter Bristow 2009.


SHARK CAGE DIVING PROBLEMS

Isla Guadalupe Chum Ban?

The quick answer to many of the chum ban questions for 2009 is yes, the complete ban on chumming is still in effect at Isla Guadalupe.

Did it affect us in 2008? Yes and no. The Mexican Navy declared no chumming last season and went as far as sending a navy frigate to enforce the ban. Our divers still saw sharks and the value for them was still high. www.sharkdiver.com




Copyright2008 on 04.01.09 @ 04:08 AM AEST [link]

'MR WALLY' (For Sale at Coffs Harbour slipway)

John Sumner-Wally Gibbins boat for sale
The original plan was to salvage WW2 scrap metals from deep waters in the Solomon Islands. A mechanical 'grab' was designed and fitted to the stern of this former prawn trawler, (Bali Hi) at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.

(The late) Wally Gibbins was well-known in 'the islands' as Mr Wally.


DECEMBER 2008

Entries:(Day, Month, Year - Subject Summary)

31/12/2008: 'MR WALLY' (For Sale at Coffs Harbour slipway)
30/12/2008: WHITE POINTER or GREAT WHITE SHARK? (Same thing)
27/12/2008: SWEDEN - DIVER DOG
25/12/2008: INFAMOUS 'CAMP COVE' SHARK PICTURE
25/12/2008: TIP: OTHER WEBSITE SHARK PICTURES
24/12/2008: TONY MATHERS - JOCELYN'S FORMER BOSS (The Grape Escape)
24/12/2008: SOLITARY EXISTENCE
24/12/2008: NEWPORT ARMS HOTEL PATRONS - ANNUAL PISS-UP 2008
24/12/2008: AVALON - ONE OF SYDNEY'S NORTHERN BEACHES
24/12/2008: PART OF SEA SHELL COLLECTION BY TONY FLOOK
23/12/2008:
23/12/2008: AN OLD MATES CATCH UP FOR CHRISTMAS
23/12/2008: CHRISTMAS TREE WORM (Spirobranchus)
23/12/2008: MARINE ART (1954)
19/12/2008: RON ISBELL by 'Maxie' Allen
11/12/2008: CHRISTMAS DINNER Poultry Vs Seafood
01/12/2008: FROM CAIRNS TO N.T. & SOUTH AUSTRALIA
01/12/2008: AYRES ROCK - U-LULU vs. U-LU-RU?
01/12/2008: News: SHOCK FOR TAIWANESE SHARK FIN BUSINESSMEN

=======================================


NOVEMBER 2008
Entries: (Day, Month, Year - Subject Summary)
SPEAR FISHING (aka FREEDIVING) MEMOIRS
27/11/2008: FLINDERS REEF, CAPE MORETON - SPEAR FISHING (1965)
26/11/2008: CAPE MORETON & Flinders Reef, Queensland Australia
23/11/2008: RELIABLE MEMOIRS EX SCUBA INSTRUCTOR
22/11/2008: SPEARED FISH FOR DINNER ..... Cape York (Video 2004)
21/11/2008: COMMERCIAL HARD HAT DIVER
20/11/2008: THE OLD TATHRA WHARF - 1963 and 1981
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF, New South Wales south coast
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF (Picture No.2 of 4)
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF, New South Wales, Australia (Picture No.3 of 4)
19/11/2008: THE WHARF AT TATHRA (Picture No.4 of 4)

18/11/2008: TRAVELING FILM SHOWS
18/11/2008: NORTHERN SAFARI on DVD
17/11/2008: REFLECTIONS
16/11/2008: NORTH QUEENSLAND DIVE Black and white (1990)
16/11/2008: YOUNG HUMP HEAD MAORI WRASSE ... in Black and White
13/11/2008: PICK OF 'THE COD HOLE' PICTURES
11/11/2008: MYSTERY OF THE SS COOMA PROP REVEALED

"RON ISBELL HAS LEFT THE BUILDING"
09/11/2008: SPEARING FISH FOR DINNER - GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND
09/11/2008: TROPICAL WOBBEGONG SHARK
09/11/2008: TRADE WIND TREE - GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND
09/11/2008: GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND - WILD GOAT
09/11/2008: GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND (A VIEW LOOKING WEST)
09/11/2008: RON ISBELL CHARTER BOAT
09/11/2008: SEA SNAKE DIVER AT KEPPLE ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
08/11/2008: 'WILD KINGDOM' FILM CREW
08/11/2008: SCUBA - DIVING WITHOUT REGULATOR
07/11/2008: ROWING ASHORE (Heron Island. 1973)
06/11/2008: RON ISBELL - UNDERWATER COMEDY (FILM)
06/11/2008: RON ISBELL & JAWS AUTHOR, PETER BENCHLEY (1975)
06/11/2008: SEA HUNT CHARTER BOAT - (November 1975)

01/11/2008: GREENBURY SCUBA SCHOOL Australia's youngest diver


=====================================

OCTOBER 2008

POPULAR AUSTRALIAN DIVE BOATS
31/10/2008: VALERIE MAY TAYLOR
31/10/2008: PILOT WHALE RESCUE - SEAL ROCKS
31/10/2008: TRADEWIND ALUMINUM BOAT - SEAL ROCKS
30/10/2008: CAMPING ON BEACH The old days Seal Rocks
30/10/2008: SEAL ROCKS Traditional fishing boat 1970
30/10/2008: TYPICAL NSW DIVE SHOP BOAT at Big Seal Rock
30/10/2008: FREEDOM 3 Ben Cropp's PRIVATE DIVE BOAT No crowds
30/10/2008: NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND November 1963
29/10/2008: BEN'S BOAT - THE CHEWED PONTOON
29/10/2008: DIVE TENDER ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
29/10/2008: Quintrex - A popular size and weight
29/10/2008: ABALONE BOAT MALLACOOTA, Victoria (1967)
29/10/2008: SPEARFISH BOAT (1971)
29/10/2008: AUSTRALIAN SPEAR & SCUBA DIVE BOAT (SYDNEY 1966)
28/10/2008: TROPICAL REEF SCENE ......Live shell
27/10/2008: THE FOG-FREE DIVE MASK ....awaits an inventor?

RON TAYLOR
26/10/2008: North Stradbroke Island Memoir
26/10/2008: Ron Taylor's adrenalin thrill
25/10/2008: THE ZENITH
24/10/2008: AUSTRALIAN SPEAR FISHERMAN 1971
23/10/2008: BREATH HOLD DIVING ..... Prep for World Championship
21/10/2008: WINGED VICTORY .... the World Champion's trophy
20/10/2008: FISH EYE VIEW 2

HENRI BOURCE - A SHARK VICTIM WHO WENT BACK
16/10/2008: HENRI BOURCE - Shark filming location
16/10/2008: Henri Bource - A one-legged underwater cameraman
16/10/2008: Henri J.L. Bource ..... Film maker & Shark bite 'victim'

THE BELGIAN EXPEDITION TO THE GBR 1967 Rare pictures
13/10/2008: GREAT BARRIER REEF LIGHTHOUSE - North Reef
13/10/2008: UNUSUAL CORAL SHAPES
12/10/2008: BELGIAN EXPEDITION to GBR - memoirs
12/10/2008: Giant clam above water
12/10/2008: Lizard Island - vacant land before the airstrip & resort
12/10/2008: Pilot whale pod
12/10/2008: Port Douglas 1967 and today
12/10/2008: Slatey Bream with cleaner wrasse
12/10/2008: Lady Musgrave Island
09/10/2008: Party Night aboard Naval Ship
09/10/2008: Wally Muller visits De Moor's ward room (bar)
09/10/2008: Dive Locker aboard De Moor
09/10/2008: Belgian National Day - aboard De Moor
09/10/2008: First news picture, CoT starfish
09/10/2008: Aquarium starfish aboard De Moor
09/10/2008: Crown-of-Thorns starfish, Otter Reef
09/10/2008: Coral shallows near Lizard Island
09/10/2008: Fish for dinner - Red Emperor
09/10/2008: Young whaler shark
09/10/2008: Marine biology intro lesson
08/10/2008: De Moor, expedition mother ship
08/10/2008: Dive work boat - Salvaged in Surf
08/10/2008: Salvage of a generator
08/10/2008: Dive boat being recovered
08/10/2008: Coral trout - a fish for lunch
08/10/2008: Clam -Tridacna gigas
08/10/2008: Exploring where no diver had been before
08/10/2008: Pencil (Sea) Urchin
07/10/2008: The Silver Fox of De Moor
07/10/2008: The Belgian Navy's De Moor
07/10/2008: De Moor de Better - the ships' slogan

THE EARLY DAYS OF CLUB DIVING
06/10/2008: LOBSTER DIVING ..... Sydney Sea Hunters club (1961)
06/10/2008: EASTERN ROCK LOBSTER ....... Underwater picture
05/10/2008: Manta Ray
05/10/2008: Manta Ray........ aka Devil fish? ....Not likely
05/10/2008: Manta Monster
04/10/2008: STINGRAY GROUP ...... Very large rays, Yongala wreck site
02/10/2008: BRIGHT SOFT CORAL ...... The deception of color underwater











Copyright2008 on 31.12.08 @ 04:43 AM AEST [link]

WHITE POINTER or GREAT WHITE SHARK? (Same thing)

Fathom magazine, 2nd of ten issues, page 12 (1971)
Text: John Harding


"Without Prejudice"I do not endorse the current international method of tourist cage diving with required chumming of white pointer sharks with food on the possibility this may allegedly lead to fatal consequences.

Allegedly by educating a highly intelligent, dangerous, large marine predator to closely inspect divers, surfers and small boats elsewhere during their extensive migration.




Shark Bytes http://www.cdnn.info/special-report/sharkbyte/sharkbyte.html

EXTREME WARNING: Graphic shark-bite pictures on divers at this web site.




Copyright2008 on 30.12.08 @ 04:15 AM AEST [link]

SWEDEN - DIVER DOG

Newspaper caption reads: FROGMAN instructor Sven Nahlin in his Stockholm home with his children Christine and Christer and "frogdog" Lavvan. Nahlin designed this underwater outfit for Lavvan after the dog tried to follow him repeatedly when he went spear fishing. Lavvan has stayed underwater for 20 minutes in the outfit. UPI photo

(The Late) WALLY GIBBINS SPEAKING - YOU TUBE
SUBJECT: Discovering habitat of rare sea shell Gloria maris



MORE: "Golden Cowries in the Solomon Islands" http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=IfZhCjS1fbk







Copyright2008 on 27.12.08 @ 03:12 PM AEST [link]

INFAMOUS 'CAMP COVE' SHARK PICTURE

A 1960's news picture that possibly inspired Woollahra council to build a shark-proof swimming enclosure at Camp Cove, inside the heads at Sydney Harbor.

I often read 80 million sharks are being killed every year. But how trustworthy are such figures?
Are small sharks included in the count - and who does the counting?

Here's a YouTube video showing Cat sharks destined for a restaurant in Taipei. These are like little wobbegong sharks. A bottom dwelling species. It's also an example of the shortage of reef fish everywhere in the world these days. Few people would eat shark if better things were being caught.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt6nfpolqH4






Copyright2008 on 25.12.08 @ 05:32 AM AEST [link]

TIP: OTHER WEBSITE SHARK PICTURES

http://www.white-shark-diving.com/

http://sharktourshawaii.com/

http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/shark-tour-hawaii.asp

http://www.sharkbookings.com/

http://www.horizoncharters.com/

http://www.sharkcagediving.net/

http://www.sharkcagediving.com.au/photos.htm

http://67.199.62.226/index.aspx

http://www.sharkcagediving.co.za/gallery.htm

http://www.bluewilderness.co.za/

http://www.malapascua-diving.com/

http://www.sharkadventures.co.za/shark-diving-image-gallery-south-africa.html

http://www.fiji-sharks.com/gallery.cfm

http://www.rodneyfox.com.au/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=58&catid=1

http://www.divingwithsharks.com/photo.html

http://www.sharkdiver.com/photos.html

http://www.islandofthegreatwhiteshark.com/PhotoGallery.aspx



Copyright2008 on 25.12.08 @ 04:39 AM AEST [link]

TONY MATHERS - JOCELYN'S FORMER BOSS (The Grape Escape)

Tony Mathers at the Newport Arms Hotel get-together of old mates day
Located in Sydney's advertising agency area of North Sydney, The Grape Escape was popular with agency executives and TV production people.

Young model waitresses (including Jocelyn Edwards provided glamor not previous seen in Sydney hotels and restaurants.

Tony Mathers remembers me for stealing his most popular girl to appear in underwater photo's and movies.

Jocelyn's bubble swim (on 16mm in the clear waters of the Coral Sea) became a television ad for skin perfume and a high point of Queensland Seafari and other similar film shows when shown to thousands of school children in Queensland who yelled and screamed at a two-frame glimpse of 'hair'.

(Use our SEARCH function to view heaps of Jocelyn Edwards underwater pictures, movie posters).




Copyright2008 on 24.12.08 @ 07:22 AM AEST [link]

SOLITARY EXISTENCE

The goldfish is named David Hicks



Copyright2008 on 24.12.08 @ 06:45 AM AEST [link]

NEWPORT ARMS HOTEL PATRONS - ANNUAL PISS-UP 2008

Tony Flook, Hunta Biddulph, Peter The Mouth McWilliam, all best friends

The Mouth was known for his lavish Palm Beach parties held in late January every year. British rocker Rod Stewart turned up with Belinda Green at the last one I attended, many years ago.

Also Pete was the original publisher of Penthouse magazine in Australia which should have had interesting fringe benefits. For the past twenty years he has been based in L.A. and no longer involved with publishing.

More than 100 old boys were at the Manly 16ft Skiff Club - all former patrons of the Newport Arms Hotel era. Tim Bristow's brother was there, and interested to learn of the story below.

Also present was Tony Mathers one of the original founders of The Grape Escape restaurant and bar at North Sydney - where I met Jocelyn Edwards and offered to make her an underwater star.

Jocelyn was one of five stunning beauties who worked at The Grape. The first Sydney wine bar to employ models.

I asked Tony who had devised the wine bar's name. Without hesitation he replied David Broad.

Dave came up with other good titles. His chain of record bars was Sound Advice.



PARTY ON SHARK ISLAND
In December 1979 Dave Broad's annual Sydney Harbour pie fight (where a thousand dollars worth of creme tarts was provided free for friends to throw at each other) coincided with Warren Piggy Morgan's (keyboard player the John Paul Young All Stars rock band) birthday party held on Shark Island.

It was a big event. Their song was recently a world wide hit "Love is in the Air".

This was the last private party allowed on the island, due no doubt to the mess and damage caused that day.

A party to end all parties.

It was the era pre video cams. I took a Super8 sound camera especially and exposed about 20 minutes of film recording the antics, interviewing a glamorous actress (Liz Crossan) and others, including the out-of-control pie fight at the end of the day, which must be seen to be believed.

Eventually my little film may be interesting to others as a cultural example from the seventies.

We were all in our thirties or younger then. Many have obviously not survived to this day.

Rock impresario Wayne DeGruchy, Bondi surfer Brad Mayes, Annabel Iliffe - (my dearest friend), and Dave Broad have been first to depart.

The 30th anniversary of the party will be in December 2009.



Copyright2008 on 24.12.08 @ 06:35 AM AEST [link]

AVALON - ONE OF SYDNEY'S NORTHERN BEACHES

There are about thirty beaches north and south of the City of Sydney. Avalon is in the far north. I speared my first shark inside the headland. It was a very small, young grey nurse. Today I'd be fined a fortune for the 'crime'. In 1961 it was a different story. Grey nurse were still 'man eaters' then.
TIM BRISTOW WAS A FREE DIVER - HERE'S A DIFFERENT STORY
On the rocks below Tim Bristow (the legendary tough guy and former bouncer at the Newport Arms Hotel) caught dozens of lobsters over the years.

Tim also saved people from problems that might have escalated without his intervention, myself included. This was how he once helped me out.

It was 1981, I'd parked in a doctors underground private car space at Elizabeth Bay apartments that led to a serious incident. At the time I planned it to be just a brief stay.

Hours later I returned and found my car blocked-in with a note on my windshield saying the car could remain stuck there for the whole weekend.

After the NRMA (motoring association) refused to help on the basis it was on private property I phoned and asked Tim could he help in any way to get my car out, Tim replied:

"That person is one of the most dangerous people I know in all of Sydney. If you break into his car to move it, he'll lie that you've stolen drugs or something from it. All you can do is be humble and apologize and hope he will accept".

I should have added that a previous attempt had resulted in the doctor's apartment door being slammed in my face. He had opened the door and spoke standing while completely naked.

(I was with his neighbors, a mother and daughter I'd been visiting).

So I tried again.

The sincere and humble apology was sufficient and sure taught me a good lesson about parking in other people's space.

Another point, when I first called Tim for advice he said: "This is a sick joke, Tony Flook has put you up to this"?

"Definitely not", I replied.

The doctor had written me a note on his prescription pad, which I read again, including the doctors name. That was when Tim said how dangerous this person could be. A man who had almost ruined Tim's life in the past.

What a strange and fortunate coincidence for me that I should ask Tim for advice, especially when it concerned a person who had already had such a profound and serious impact on Tim's own life.






Copyright2008 on 24.12.08 @ 06:13 AM AEST [link]

PART OF SEA SHELL COLLECTION BY TONY FLOOK

An impressive collection of very rare and expensive sea shells here.

Inspired by Wally Gibbins and Tim Bristow, Tony Flook began collecting shells ten years ago.

In the center left to right are Gloria maris, perplicata and thatcheri volutes shells that are legendary amongst collectors. Each species has a unique and sometimes exciting story that lead to it's discovery.

The three brilliant colored shells are Golden cowries.

Diving played a part in some recent discoveries. In other examples it was the extreme location of the shell that kept it hidden from the world. Distant Coral Sea reefs especially where the cost of fuel today now protects these locations. Few boats are prepared to travel this vast distance.

To understand the value and rarity of shells easier: volute shells have markings according to their habitat location.

A volute at Chesterfield Reefs has different marking to those on the Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island has a volute not found outside its zone. And so it goes.

THE POISONOUS CONE SHELL Gloria maris WAS ONCE THE RAREST SEA SHELL IN THE WORLD.
Wally Gibbins put an end to that when he found dozens in the Solomon Islands. It was a location where few divers ventured - protection of the shells guaranteed by saltwater crocs and a few sharks. i.e. river mouths on black sand at night in 60 feet of water under rotting tree's.

Not where tourists and 'sporting divers' are likely to frolic.

The price of Gloria Maris dropped from thousands of dollars each to a few hundred bucks today when dozens of the shells slowly crept onto the market.

EXTREME COLLECTING
When a shell collector is a mega billionaire, the effort to find a new species can be staggering. No expense is spared. John duPont (USA) mounted an expedition in search of the volute thatcheri in the 1960's, even producing a motion picture film of the quest.

Today, scuba diving has taken a different direction There are more distractions than in the old days when you either speared fish or talked about aqualungs. Underwater photography was a complex and difficult hobby - pre automatic Nikonos camera's in the 1980's.

A final point on sea shells is the number of species in the ocean. Something like 4:1 of the known fish species. What exists in the very deep depths is the final frontier.



Copyright2008 on 24.12.08 @ 05:46 AM AEST [link]

Copyright2008 on 23.12.08 @ 05:18 PM AEST [link]

AN OLD MATES CATCH UP FOR CHRISTMAS

REG (Robert Edward Grounds) and Harold (John Harold Harding)

Bob Grounds is now developing a marina. We caught up the other day. Years ago in our early diving lives, my father (John Michael Harding) was part of the group as was John Magill, John Barlow and that rogue, John leBrun.. To separate all the John's we used other names. I became Harold.

Bob Grounds has clocked up an interesting and impressive diving career. From ab diving in three of the southern states, to oil rig work and underwater reconstructions back in Australia.

We joined Ron Taylor and Wally Muller for a trip to Saumarez Reef together in October, 1964.

A typical Muller 'dinner' was potato, pumkin and onion cooked in a pressure cooker with a tin of Camp Pie thrown in for good measure.

If we speared a "B" grade fish, Wal would be sure to curry it for dinner. No sense wasting coral trout on us.

But we did eat some trout on that trip. The Red-throat Sweet Lip were better. They are not so common anymore.

In those days fish was cheaper than butcher shop meat - like, about half price of steak. Today it's the opposite. In Sydney fish market today (Christmas Eve) fresh tuna was an amazing $90 per kilo.







Copyright2008 on 23.12.08 @ 05:05 PM AEST [link]

CHRISTMAS TREE WORM (Spirobranchus)

A Sony T1 (in marine pack case) was used for this shot



Copyright2008 on 23.12.08 @ 04:43 PM AEST [Spirobranchus)">link]

MARINE ART (1954)

An example from the era when almost every shark attack was blamed on Grey Nurse sharks. The monster in this artwork looks very much like it's meant to be a Tiger shark. Great entertainment value today.

The Australian author was very prolific in the 1950's. The setting for various chapters is Broome in the Nor' West of Western Australia, and pearl shell divers.



Copyright2008 on 23.12.08 @ 01:57 PM AEST [link]

RON ISBELL by 'Maxie' Allen

CAT SCUBA DIVING-VIDEO







Copyright2008 on 19.12.08 @ 03:29 AM AEST [link]

CHRISTMAS DINNER Poultry Vs Seafood

Jan Li and a wild duck, this week at Palm Beach (Sydney)
There's a restaurant at Beverley Hills, (Sydney) that may just serve the best Peking Duck anywhere. Check the other video's on YouTube - nothing compares with the service we sampled at the Peking Duck Restaurant (493 King George Road) just down the hill from the dive store, near the cinemas.

The video demonstrates how to eat this delicacy from China. It's rolled up with an essential sauce and a little vegetable. Price is very reasonable considering the service. 5 stars at a three star price.






More Jan Zhen Li: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=1ENDglU_Wss








Copyright2008 on 11.12.08 @ 01:35 PM AEST [link]

FROM CAIRNS TO N.T. & SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The starting point was really Cape Tribulation which has rain forest by the beach. Mosquitoes proved a problem here. They loved Asian blood more than mine. Our journey really began at Port Douglas and a trip to the Low Isles aboard Freedom 3with friends Ben Cropp and Lynn Roberts.

Further down the coast by car we stopped and photographed at various "A" grade tourist spots. Airlie Beach, Yeppoon, Fraser Island, Noosa, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Lake Cathie, Sydney, Canberra, Merimbula, Melbourne etc. then on to South Australia and beyond into the red sand soil of Central Australia.

What a contrast of scenery people and places. The journey took 12 weeks, the full maximum visa duration for a Taiwanese person in Australia. It was probably a tough trip for a city person from Taipei not accustomed to the outdoors.

Typically, no complaints were made, not even when toenails fell off two days following a tortuous downhill climb of Ayres Rock in ill fitting sneakers.






Copyright2008 on 01.12.08 @ 12:19 PM AEST [link]

AYRES ROCK - U-LULU vs. U-LU-RU?

For the Asian tongue, Ululu is much easier said than the correct title of Uluru.

When a Taiwanese friend agreed to return to Australia for a holiday, we met at Cairns and traveled in my 4x4 down and around the coast to Adelaide.

Someone suggested we also see Uluru (Ayres Rock). There was just enough time.

The following year I went to Taipei. Have returned several times.

There is still a lot more to see, the ocean which I've neglected due to several reasons.

Why keep returning whenever possible?

The food is a health trip by itself.

A complete change away from the processed foods we are so subject to in Australia gives the body a good change. I'm not into much fast food here at all. Good food is hard to come by in Australia.

Western foreigners are treated very nicely also. Perhaps it's because we tend to smile a lot while there?

Second Life? Taipei with a population density of 10 000 per square kilometer might be how Sydney will be in 50 or 100 years from now.

The rail system (MRT) in Taipei would be fantastic to replace Sydney's mess.

Don't think for a second that every Asian wants to live in Australia. To the young, Australia is too boring. I agree the food certainly is.

Taiwanese food can have a Japanese influence (the island was a Japanese colony for 50 years until the end of WW2).

The YouTube video (below) has a message the United Nations and WHO might act upon - do enough really dare to upset China who regard Taiwan as their renegade colony (thanks also to Messrs. Nixon/Kissinger).

The world's first Chinese democracy, in it's infancy. Mainland China would be studying the progress and has a major international influence that has limited Taiwan's ability and space .



Copyright2008 on 01.12.08 @ 08:31 AM AEST [link]

News: SHOCK FOR TAIWANESE SHARK FIN BUSINESSMEN

Queensland's Reef and rain forest country


"Taiwan MUST be permitted to join World Health Organization" (says video)


SHOCK FOR SHARK FINNING PEOPLE

Legislators pass tough fishing law
APPLIES EVERYWHERE
Any Taiwanese national who breaks provisions of the new law elsewhere in the world will still be subject to punishment in Taiwan
From: www.taipeitimes.com Wednesday, Dec 03, 2008

The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the Statute Governing Investment and Management of Non-Taiwanese Fishing Boats, which prohibits anyone from investing in non-Taiwanese fishing boats without a permit from the agricultural authorities

Those who make such an investment without first obtaining a permit may be fined between NT$300,000 (US$8,950) and NT$1.5 million.

Under the new law, authorities will also be able to investigate any fishing irregularities by requiring fishing boat investors to present investment details.

Any Taiwanese national found to be involved in fish laundering ― an illegal act to cover up overfishing ― could be jailed from six months to three years and fined up to NT$30 million, while those entering the fishing business overseas without a permit may be sentenced to three years in prison and fined up to NT$10 million.

Those who commit these offenses abroad are subject to punishment in Taiwan, even if the acts are legal where they take place. Violators' catch and equipment will also be confiscated.

The bill also includes a resolution urging the Council of Agriculture and the Fisheries Agency to engage in international negotiations for a "buffer zone" so the local fishing industry can gradually adjust the average size of its tuna catch.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas sanctioned the nation's deep-sea fishing industry in 2004 and 2005 for dodging the fishing limits by investing in non-Taiwanese fishing boats.



Copyright2008 on 01.12.08 @ 08:27 AM AEST [link]

NOVEMBER 2008 DIRECTORY

Bob Grounds, Point Lookout (1968) from Fathom No.2
A 16mm version of this now unique event is immortalized on celluloid in the silent marine documentary Aquarius(1970).



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NOVEMBER 2008
Entries: (Day, Month, Year - Subject Summary)
SPEAR FISHING (aka FREEDIVING) MEMOIRS
27/11/2008: FLINDERS REEF, CAPE MORETON - SPEAR FISHING (1965)
26/11/2008: CAPE MORETON & Flinders Reef, Queensland Australia
23/11/2008: RELIABLE MEMOIRS EX SCUBA INSTRUCTOR
22/11/2008: SPEARED FISH FOR DINNER ..... Cape York (Video 2004)
21/11/2008: COMMERCIAL HARD HAT DIVER
20/11/2008: THE OLD TATHRA WHARF - 1963 and 1981
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF, New South Wales south coast
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF (Picture No.2 of 4)
19/11/2008: TATHRA WHARF, New South Wales, Australia (Picture No.3 of 4)
19/11/2008: THE WHARF AT TATHRA (Picture No.4 of 4)

18/11/2008: TRAVELING FILM SHOWS
18/11/2008: NORTHERN SAFARI on DVD
17/11/2008: REFLECTIONS
16/11/2008: NORTH QUEENSLAND DIVE Black and white (1990)
16/11/2008: YOUNG HUMP HEAD MAORI WRASSE ... in Black and White
13/11/2008: PICK OF 'THE COD HOLE' PICTURES
11/11/2008: MYSTERY OF THE SS COOMA PROP REVEALED

" RON ISBELL HAS LEFT THE BUILDING"
09/11/2008: SPEARING FISH FOR DINNER - GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND
09/11/2008: TROPICAL WOBBEGONG SHARK
09/11/2008: TRADE WIND TREE - GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND
09/11/2008: GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND - WILD GOAT
09/11/2008: GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND (A VIEW LOOKING WEST)
09/11/2008: RON ISBELL CHARTER BOAT
09/11/2008: SEA SNAKE DIVER AT KEPPLE ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
08/11/2008: 'WILD KINGDOM' FILM CREW
08/11/2008: SCUBA - DIVING WITHOUT REGULATOR
07/11/2008: ROWING ASHORE (Heron Island. 1973)
06/11/2008: RON ISBELL - UNDERWATER COMEDY (FILM)
06/11/2008: RON ISBELL & JAWS AUTHOR, PETER BENCHLEY (1975)
06/11/2008: SEA HUNT CHARTER BOAT - (November 1975)

01/11/2008: GREENBURY SCUBA SCHOOL Australia's youngest diver





Copyright2008 on 30.11.08 @ 01:34 AM AEST [link]