Day 8 256 Shades of Grey (Written on Feb 25, 2013)
256 shades of grey with pink and yellow hues decorating the sky.
Photo credit M.Jenner
When I entered the wheelhouse at midnight for my watch, we have southerly winds of 7-10 knots and the sky is totally overcast – the full moon shining through as a fuzzy cream disk, becoming a true “watery moon”. Only a faint glimmer of light reaches the water with a diffuse, soft pathway from the glow above.
Carrie deployed another BARRA sonobuoy just as I came on watch and I continue to monitor the screens for as long as the RF signal lasts. During the duration of 55 minutes three different detections are recorded, a blob at 939-1004 Hz then another at 988-1118 Hz for 10 seconds. Next a large shape filling the SONIX software from 0-1930 Hz (40 seconds long) and then at frequency 1028-1111 Hz, I hear the sounds of the “woodpecker fish”. Screen grabs are taken and the physical structure of the detections noted in our CWRLOGGER carefully created by Maria. I love the midnight deployments, funny sounds abound. It is so interesting how the night-time world brings out the noises of its’ inhabitants. To see they need to speak… now I have an excuse!
We are 29 nm South of Cape Kersaint on Kangaroo Island. On the chart while perusing the south coast of Kangaroo Island, a history lesson unfolds. I recognise names of French explorers as given place names, Cape Bedout and Cape Gantheaume. In WA, these men are also recognised but slightly differently (as necessary), we have Bedout Island and Gantheaume Point on the NW coast. Wow, these guys got around!
There is no vessel traffic in this area as my eyes flit from window to screen to screen and window checking our navigational surroundings and searching for friends in the night. By 0130 a hot, honeyed chai tea seems to suit the moment between the next sonobuoy deployments. Once another is deployed, I am listening on the acoustic equipment for sounds as well as the distinctive “puh-whuh” of dolphins accompanying us. In the warm night air with the starboard door open this would be easily heard over the running sounds of our quiet little ship, I just have to multi-task! Point Ellen flashes bravely, one of two lighthouses on the south coast of Kangaroo Island and the odd lightning streak penetrates the silver sky ahead.
A grey grey day gives way to a rainbow of hues.
Photo credit M.Jenner
As the day dawns, it’s a grey-grey old day when I peer through our aft window. The slight wave chop helps me decide on heavier trousers rather than lighter ones, it looks a little chilly. The sun appears just like the moon did last night, a white glowing ball through the “mist” of the cloud. By 0925 on visual observations the sky is entirely clouded over and there are perhaps 256 shades of grey from pink to blue and cream hues adorning the heavens. Low-lying clouds to our NE resemble ficelles (small, fine French baguettes) complete with diagonal score marks that make nice patterns while baking. Some clouds even look like pastry cheese twists with very evenly twisted patterns… I must be hungry if I am seeing food in the clouds!
Our heading is 323 degrees and as we close with the coast within the molten sea we desperately hope we have a chance of seeing some cetaceans. The chance of encountering amazing creatures is what keeps us going. You have to be an optimist in this biz! The wind is from the SE at 12-25 knots and a long period 2-4 m swell is from the SW. Despite the statistics, it is a comfortable ride and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now! Although, I would like to have Micah and Tas beside me!
A juvenile Shy Albatross taking flight across the grey ocean.
Photo credit M.Jenner
With only two pods of dolphins yesterday and none today, we are aware of their presence in cold water and absence in warm water. Indeed, from the satellite SST (Sea Surface Temperature) image yesterday, it is clear that the large warm tongue of the warm Leeuwin Current pervades this area. I love the localised nature of biological distribution. Animals go where the water is the right temperature, if the bath is too hot, find the part of the bath that suits… I love it. Thus far only two albatross, three juvenile gannets and three white-faced storm petrels have been counted in our bird counts today. This area is well-known as prime blue-fin tuna country.
Sea spray laden air appears to mist the vista at Thistle Island.
Photo credit M.Jenner
As such, I shall threaten to prepare pork stir-fry with chillie and Hoisin sauce and hopefully Resty will be able to prepare fish for us… here’s to hoping anyway! Resty believes we need to sacrifice some-one at Neptune Islands (home of the white pointer cage dives), watch out Sam!
To our WSW a pale line of blue sky peeps through the brown, white, cream, pink and purple-hued clouds. The official photographic grey scale recognises 256 shades of grey. When we match humpback whale and blue whale photo-identification images, we change the photos from colour to the grey scale maximising contrast within the picture and thus detail of identifying scars and unique scratches. Interestingly, a professional photographer friend once told us that the human eye is capable of detecting far more shades of grey than varieties of colours! We are in the 256 shades of grey today with these hues of the sky and sea.
Interesting holiday homes surround Whaler’s Bay, Thistle Island.
Photo credit M.Jenner
Our destination this afternoon is a north-facing bay on Thistle Island, at the entrance to Spencer Gulf which extends 160 nm to the north. We are perfectly on time according to our ETA on the nav computer, but this is unfortunately because we weren’t distracted with any large marine mammals during the last couple of days. Waterhouse Point on the SE corner of Thistle Island is a lonely light approximately 30m high on a barren hill of exposed grey granite with pale yellow and cream sand/clay atop. As we round Horny Point we see 4 or 5 buildings, a mixture of housing and sheds on the ridge.
Homes and huge sheds adorn each property, causing ‘shed envy’ from Curt and Dale.
Photo credit M.Jenner
In the binoculars Curt can pick out the cable that runs ashore to the listening station from the offshore range known as SAARS (South Australian Acoustic Range) over which Whale Song will travel tomorrow to be monitored under different engineering configurations.
Entering Whaler’s Bay and selecting our anchorage in 8 m of water, we are thoroughly surprised at the number and calibre of the homes nestled on the cliffs just above the cream, sandy beach edge. Scanning around Whaler’s Bay, I still need to count things, so buildings will suffice! Twenty-four homes, of grand scale, dimension and interesting design, each with spectacular views are almost equally matched with 19 substantial sheds beside, but set slightly behind. And these are the constructions I can see, there could well be more! When I come inside the wheelhouse and report my tally, Curt and Dale gaze ashore with a far-away looks in their eyes. It is clear they have severe ‘shed-envy’! We are guessing that each home has its’ own power supply, as no power lines are evident, thus requiring these almost house-sized shed structures for their private infrastructure.
The water around us is a gorgeous dark blue with a shallow turquoise strip close to the cream, sandy beach. Above the beach scrubby vegetation over yellow/cream clay steeply leads to a ridge about 25 m high where homes perch. At the north-western end of the bay the granite mounds rise markedly to around 80 m in wide rounded knolls. Where the land rises, gullies filled with dark-green scrubby bushes reach the water. Four flat exposed faces where the land has eroded appear as large half rounds like elephants toes. The full cloud coverage has cleared and the blue sky is now dotted with light cumulus and low-fast moving stratus, although a heavy roll of cloud to the north looks mildly ominous. I should think this would be a wonderful holiday spot to have a gorgeous summer residence for families to relax.
Sadly, my threat for the fish didn’t work – so we struggled on with the chillie pork with anise-infused jasmine rice and three vegetable dishes… one day we’ll catch a fish again! After dinner we put on a movie in the main saloon of “Arbitrage” watched with Intense Strawberry Lindt chocolate! Another great day had by all.
Safely anchored inside Whaler’s Bay,
Mich
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