29. SHIPWRECKS

Beached. Broke free while under tow to Asia as scrap

A different scanning effect for the same picture (below)

Wally deserves a very decent recognition for finding and salvaging this bell, currently on display in a museum.

Within the wreck - available light, time exposure

Bell has been obviously cleaned here, when found it was encrusted with barnacles.

The Yongala shipwreck is an oasis for marine life.

Anchor chains are bad for coral formations.

JOHN SUMNER - SHIPWRECK BELLS BLOG  <Click

Propeller of Quetta

Filmmaker Ben Cross explores Quetta shipwreck, Cape York.

Located in the Capricorn and Bunker Group (Central Queensland - Tropic of Capricorn)

SS COOMA shipwreck at North Reef (Capricorn and Bunker Group), southern Great Barrier Reef.  Rom Taylor took the picture with a wide angle lens Rolleiflex in a custom housing.  Propeller was often featured as a cut-away scene in "Flipper" - stock footage sold by Ben Cropp.  A few years after this 1964 picture, pirate divers stole two of the blades, losing one into shallow surf when it floated away on drums.  John H Harding holds "M" a nice and slightly twisted heavy brass piece that once composed part of the ship's name, possible from the stern. (USA Skin Diver, February 1965).

Middleton Reef 'maru' (1971)  © jhh

Long liner, Middleton Reef (1975)

ZERO AIRCRAFT 1969 (Micronesia - not The Coral Sea)

The story says 'Protector' was a South Australian naval ship (pre 1900) sunk to form a bit of a  'harbour' at Heron Island, Queensland.

28. GBR OUTER EDGE PICTURES

 Outer edge off Townsville.  Very large formations likened to giant forest trees in age.

Blue ocean water

Extra saturation added to this picture - probably closer to the real thing.

27. LOBSTER - GREAT BARRIER REEF and NSW

New South Wales variety - "rock Lobster".  Catch and release example.  1986

"Painted' cray found within minutes of arriving at The Fish Tail (Nor' West Island)

At Seal Rocks NSW in 1964.  (Picture courtesy Ron Taylor)  Large lobsters now protected.

Catch and release - NSW rock lobster.

CRAYFISH GALORE See pages 44,45 Fathom

26. Giant Groper also Eastern Blue Groper

Coastal specimen, far Cape York, Queensland

Resident at Beaver Cay (Mission Beach Qld).


EASTERN BLUE GROPER (NSW)

Eastern Blue Groper (NSW) in 1968

They got a bit spooky by about 1965, Bob. Val Taylor had written text for a proposed children's book that featured a Blue Groper. Ron and Val were both stuck for a picture - can you believe that? I was asked to contribute a shot and couldn't help. The first underwater torch I tried, the very first fish I saw in a cave - in 50 feet on scuba- at Marley Point, was a terrified blue groper. But yes, in the early days these were the main easy catch - fished to a low population point by the some of the people who later instigated the ban, the USFA of NSW. A scuba spearing ban followed. You know the story of the largest blue groper in a clan being the male? At Point Lookout QLD where no ban exists I saw a blue groper (a male) six inches in length. He was the largest in the area. That is a bit rough. (A blue should not turn blue until it reaches maturity at about 12 pounds). JHH

25. CROWN OF THORNS STARFISH - Mission Beach area

Corals at Beaver Reef were 'planted' or relocated to form a lush garden  after starfish had ruined some sections allocated for tourist boats, and glass bottom boat visitors. Therefore the reef is not perfectly natural.

Dunk Island - offshore from Mission Beach, Queensland.

March 1968 - the first news picture story in any popular or large circulation magazine showing Crown-of-Thorns starfish.  The missing title page is titled "The Thing that's killing )ur Reef".  These pictures were at Otter Reef, south of Townsville and made possible by participation with the Belgian Expedition of 1967.
 STARFISH EXPEDITION IN MICRONESIA

Stranded by the low tide.

A good time to visit the barrier reef is during the extra low tides for a couple of days in winter. If you score no breeze and a sunny blue sky then it's going to be an even better day. Finally, try and be at a good location.

Dr Robert Endean was the Reader in Zoology, University of Queensland.  He campaigned for a better understanding of Crown-of-thorns starfish and Great Barrier Reef ecology - at a time when Queensland was a virtual 'police state' and the state premier seemingly ignorant of marine ecology but well aware of the potential costs of saving coral reefs.

 South Mission Beach - Dunk Island offshore

Starfish plague example

Helmet shells