Sun Mar 30 17:49:37 2008
Fish!
Including a Shark
As planned, we got up early today to go snorkelling. Shelley Beach, just around the corner from the Manly Surf Beach, seemed the obvious choice, especially since the enormously helpful assistant in the dive shop had kindly given us an introduction to where we should go and what wildlife to look for.
Having learned from the previous unpleasant experience, we kept keys and money on us and brought otherwise only ferry tickets. This worked, as in, nothing got stolen this time.
It was worth getting equipment from a proper dive shop -- for the first time ever I had a mask that didn't leak. Saw many lots of fish close to the shore, in crystal-clear water. Also sea urchins and corals.
Then we wandered back along the path, arriving at the surf beach, when we heard an alarm we'd never heard before, wailing, like an air raid siren. (Not, of course, that I have ever heard an air raid siren for real either.) All the life guards on the beach started to blow their whistles furiously, and all the swimmers headed for the beach with rather more alacrity than normal; in fact one might call it haste. The sea was empty within seconds. Then a voice over a loudspeaker confirmed a shark sighting, 100m off the beach, saying "You are advised to stay well out of the water". Yes, I'd say so! They sent a boat to try and shoo the shark back into the harbour, not very successfully. Eventually it left of its own accord, its "food court" suddenly devoid of nourishment.
