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Len · 05-09-2006, 22:40

Just a little tail.
When we were kids, about 14, 15 we used to go snorkelling over some rocks at Port Kembla, Wollongong and our secret place was very near to the Port. The rule of thumb at that time was and probably still is, is that you don’t swim, surf etc anywhere near harbours/Ports because as the fishing fleets make their way home the usually gut the fish they’ve caught and throw the scraps overboard thus potentially leading sharks into or around the harbours. We were fairly confident about snorkelling were we where because the port belonged to the steelworks and primarily only cargo vessel used it. Anyway that’s nothing to do with what I’m going to tell you but I just thought I’d mention it. Hehe

I don’t know if any of ya have been snorkelling or scuba diving but its great you get one of the best sensations you could ever possibly experience. It’s hard to describe but it’s sort of like slow motion flying, you can hover, you can go up or down you can go anywhere you like without touching the floor and best of all is that you can see all that there is to be seen.

Anyway on this particular day there were about 4 or 5 of us and we were in the water about 150/200 yards out and quite well spread out. I was on my own doing what you do over the rocks when I came across a sandy patch. At this point the water depth was probably only about 6 or 7 feet maybe more maybe less, not sure and I had just taken a deep breath and started to dive when suddenly the sand on the floor lifted about 6/ 10inches and this bloody great black thing shot out from under the sand and disappeared into the obis. It was a Ray and it was about as wide as I were long and I’ll tell you what I very nearly polluted the pacific ocean at that very moment. So understandably I went a shore and took some time out because it had quite feared me, it wasn’t the Ray as such that had worried me if I had seen it in the distance I would have swam towards it, it was the shock/ surprise of it suddenly appearing from underneath the sand only a few feet below me. At that time I wasn’t aware that they could stab you only that you shouldn’t grab their tails as they were supposed to be very sharp.
So it must have been a friendly Ray because it didn’t have a poke at me.... or did it and I never noticed? Jeepers.

I bet people are going to be more wary of Rays in future.

05-09-2006, 22:40	#63
Len God Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Great Harwood Posts: 5,576 Liked: 3 times Rep Power: 3602	Re: Crikey!! (Steve Irwin) Just a little tail. When we were kids, about 14, 15 we used to go snorkelling over some rocks at Port Kembla, Wollongong and our secret place was very near to the Port. The rule of thumb at that time was and probably still is, is that you don’t swim, surf etc anywhere near harbours/Ports because as the fishing fleets make their way home the usually gut the fish they’ve caught and throw the scraps overboard thus potentially leading sharks into or around the harbours. We were fairly confident about snorkelling were we where because the port belonged to the steelworks and primarily only cargo vessel used it. Anyway that’s nothing to do with what I’m going to tell you but I just thought I’d mention it. Hehe I don’t know if any of ya have been snorkelling or scuba diving but its great you get one of the best sensations you could ever possibly experience. It’s hard to describe but it’s sort of like slow motion flying, you can hover, you can go up or down you can go anywhere you like without touching the floor and best of all is that you can see all that there is to be seen. Anyway on this particular day there were about 4 or 5 of us and we were in the water about 150/200 yards out and quite well spread out. I was on my own doing what you do over the rocks when I came across a sandy patch. At this point the water depth was probably only about 6 or 7 feet maybe more maybe less, not sure and I had just taken a deep breath and started to dive when suddenly the sand on the floor lifted about 6/ 10inches and this bloody great black thing shot out from under the sand and disappeared into the obis. It was a Ray and it was about as wide as I were long and I’ll tell you what I very nearly polluted the pacific ocean at that very moment. So understandably I went a shore and took some time out because it had quite feared me, it wasn’t the Ray as such that had worried me if I had seen it in the distance I would have swam towards it, it was the shock/ surprise of it suddenly appearing from underneath the sand only a few feet below me. At that time I wasn’t aware that they could stab you only that you shouldn’t grab their tails as they were supposed to be very sharp. So it must have been a friendly Ray because it didn’t have a poke at me.... or did it and I never noticed? Jeepers. I bet people are going to be more wary of Rays in future.