the JOHN HARDING

On board was **Sir Maurice Yonge,** (who had a reef named after himself).

Recognized for his work as leader of the famous 1929-30 British scientific expedition to the Great Barrier Reef, based at Low Isles, off Port Douglas.

Catching adult eastern rock lobster, especially with scuba, **then go to jail**. (i.e. expect a fine).

Too small is illegal as is too large. The large lobster are the breeders.

Non-diving art directors (those who design book content, magazines and news pictures) are commonly guilty of placing a manta ray picture **upside down.**

It’s been happening for as long as I can remember.

For some untrained eye reason they find that a manta looks ‘right’ when it’s upside down. Perhaps confusing the underwater wing or flap shape with that of something in flight?

Maybe a message on the picture (as above) would reduce the error factor for these dopes, **or give them a dive course!**

A recent coffee table book of underwater pictures contained such an inverted manta ray picture – the error continues.

** Seen in \\Reef Safari\\(18 fps video production), 1983**

There was a true 1 knot current running (which seems like three knots when you’re in it). \\Coralita\\ had invited me to a join an overseas team led by **Dee Scarr.**

Our first day was at \\Yongala\\ waiting for Qantas to helicopter out some lost baggage, which they did at considerable expense.

Underwater conditions were perfect. Maybe better than 30 meters of visibility. These large rays were near the ship’s stern where three giant Queensland groper were resting. A school of very large cobia had been near the sleeping rays and were first to leave.

(It’s interesting how cobia (aka black kingfish) and stingrays have something in common).

None of the overseas divers reached the stern. The current was too much for them.

Hostess **Dianne Widdowson** and I got there OK.

I rattled off a couple of Nikonos stills (as above) then switched to filming with a Eumig Super8 film camera. A pity those camera’s were mostly 18 frames per second. Better than nothing though.

The rays slowly becoming disturbed with our presence was the interesting part. One by one they awoke each other and slowly swam away. A good defense mechanism.

After a day and a half the team voted we move to a Coral Sea reef destination – which we did. Nothing else on the trip came close to matching what we saw during those first dives.