Monday 3 May 2010

South Cape Bay - 3rd and 6th April 2010

South Cape Bay - 6th April 2010Walked out to South Cape Bay a couple of times, mainly because the first walk was quite rainy and squally, and I wanted to photograph tiny baby bluebottles which had been on the beach the first time and were difficult to photograph due to the wind, rain and state of the tide. ie. The waves were trying to wash over me and the camera when I crouched down to photograph them, and the wind was blowing the rain sideways. There are enough other descriptions of the South Cape Bay walk (for example here) that I won't dwell on it here.

Baby bluebottles, South Cape Bay - 3rd April 2010There were tens of thousands of these tiny bluebottles on the beach the first time I walked there. probably the best place for them one part of me thinks, nasty little things. However, they must have some sensible ecological role, so I suppose we have to put up with them. These little things were maybe up to a centimetre across and washed in their thousands to around the limit of the waves as I walked along the beach. When I returned a few days later, they were gone.


Breaking wave, South Cape Bay; South Cape behind - 6th April 2010The waves were quite large on both visits, making quite an impressive sight across the width of the bay at times. I didn't see anyone surfing, but there were some people arriving with surfboards as I left the first time.


Kelp and Lion Rock, South Cape Bay - 6th April 2010This kelp bed made an interesting image with Lion Rock behind. However, the waves were sweeping a long way up the beach and then receding around 75 metres. This kelp was at the far seaward limit of the movement of the water, so I had only seconds to get this shot before the sea returned. It would have been thigh-deep or more here immediately after I got this shot.


Driftwood and Lion Rock, South Cape Bay - 6th April 2010Lion Rock, with convenient foreground driftwood.


Granite boulder amongst dolerite, South Cape Bay - 6th April 2010I thought this little boulder was interesting - pink granite on this beach dominated by dolerite and sedimentary rocks. There must be some granite somewhere then surely. Just not sure where. I don't see any obviously on the geological map I have, but it's a very small scale map. Maybe some surfer carried it here from Coles Bay...

No comments: