Rocks and rockpools at Bermagui

Here are some more photos from my visit to Bermagui, two weeks ago.

Firstly, here is a view of Mt Dromedary ("Gulaga" - to the local Aboriginal people) as seen from the boat harbour at Bermagui.
Mt Dromedary is a huge granite outcrop, and so it is the remains of huge igneous forces. Although its top is now about 1000 metres, it is estimated that it once stood 3 Km high. The formation of Mt Dromedary has left geological "reminders" along the coast from here to Narooma, some 60 Kms to the north. There are historic gold mines in the Tilba area, and even in a large vein of Quartz rock, close to Bermagui, near Camel Rock (the Montreal Goldfields".

From the boat harbour at Bermagui, one can climb down the point above the mouth of the estuary to the rock shelf below, just above the ocean. Around this point, the rocks are mostly soft mud-stone rocks, but there are some veins of quartz. You may recall that last week I showed some of the heavily metamorphosed rocks from the beach, near Camel Rock. Presumably this reflects the huge eruptions associated with the formation of Mt. Dromedary.

This patch of mud-stone rock has been lifted up. The vertical veins are left over from patterns of sedimentation, when the rock was laid down, in a horizontal position.Because it is relatively soft rock, it is eroding. It has left an intriguing small hole through which one can look to the sky.

or one can look back through the rocks below the cliff.

In the same area, I found this interesting large, smooth lozenge-shaped rock. It is sedimentary in origin, but has been subjected to pressure, with a thin vein of igneous rock injected through it, under intense heat and pressure.
By contrast, here is an interesting lozenge-shaped rock, with delightful pink stripes and soft tonings. It is clearly formed in a very different manner from the soft, smooth rock above.This was from the beach near Camel Rock.
Here are some shots from various rock pools.

A green Sea Anemone.

Some red Sea Anemones in different stages of "opening"
of their flexible tentacles.
These Sea Anemones are on a vertical side of a small rock pool.

UPDATE: I am endebted to Tsun-Thai Chai for identifying the red Sea Anemone as a "Waratah Sea Anemone" and the beaded algae as "Neptune's Necklace" (Hormosira banksii). By sheer coincidence, the first image I found of that Beaded Algae species is illustrated here, by another colleague of mine, James, of "Dermal Denticles". Small world!

Here is a dark Sea Urchin with its hard spines.
There is an interesting article on how to treat an injury
incurred by falling onto a Sea Urchin's spines.
Best to avoid, I think.
In the world of rock pools, this is what passes for "lunch".
A school of tiny fish swimming in a rock pool.
One hopes that they escape at the next high tide.

A story from my father - and a photo essay

My father is not given to telling stories, so I will record here a story he told me today. (Anni, this might have some resonance with your recent post about cutbacks in funding for positions of Library Manager and the Cultural Officer in our own beloved Wingecarribee Shire).

In the Borough of Port Fairy, back in the bad old days, (my father is 93 after all), there was a Councillor who always opposed spending Council's money on new, fancy projects.

One such idea which he opposed time and time again, was the building of a "public urinal" in the main street. Eventually, this annoyed his fellow Councillors so much that they cornered him and asked why he kept objecting to this proposal. It turned out that the worthy Civic Elder did not know what a "public urinal" was. This was quickly explained to him, and the great light dawned on him.

Sure enough at the very next meeting of Council this worthy citizen got up and proposed that Council build a "public urinal" in the main street. Everyone cheered and clapped.

Overwhelmed by his triumph, the Councillor rose to his feet again, and added: And I think we should also build an "Arsenal".

*****

And by contrast to that story, here is a photo of Mt Dromedary, taken from Montague Island, near Narooma (when I was there 2 weeks ago). The link (above) will tell you interesting details of its volcanic origins, and former huge size. This mountain was the product of some serious volcanic activity, folks (and indeed, Montague Island was an offshoot from it). The strait is 6Km wide, and the mountain is a further 16 Kms inland. It is about 1000 metres high, but it is a large lump of a mountain, by Australian standards.

And, finally, to the point of this photo essay.

On my visit to the island, two young women chose not to go onto the island, but opted to swim with the seals which have a "haul-out" point on the rocks on the northern tip of the island. I did not know that this was an option, but I probably would not have done this anyway, as it is well known that White-pointer Sharks are very fond of seals.

Anyway, while we climbed the island, to inspect the lighthouse, and learn about its bleak history these young women went swimming with the seals. One particularly adventurous seal pup swam very closely with them, it seems - played with them. Secretly, I was just a little bit jealous.

For the record, while the women swam with the seals, the Captain of the boat kept watch, from the boat, close by.

Anyway, tonight I was editing a series of photos (thanks to Photoshop) and noticed something odd in the photo I have published above. Can you see where I have pasted a circle in the water?

This is a cropped image of the original photo (at maximum resolution). It is not doctored up in any way. The photo was taken with a long lens, from about 50 metres altitude, about one third of the way up the track to the lighthouse. I would estimate the range of the object in the water to be about 200 to 250 metres out to sea. But, remember, I was using a fairly long lens.

Make up your own mind!

My advice is don't go mucking around in waters you do not understand.

As usual, click on these photos for larger resolution images.