Seeing Otaipango Through New Eyes
Anyone who has had the misfortune / privilege of being dragged around home by me will realise within a short amount of time that I love home with a passion, both the moana and the whenua and all that is within. Even though I live here and see the moana and bush every single day, I still enjoy it, and often think to myself I am so lucky to be from here and live here.
On the 2nd January 2017 the whanau headed down to the main beach and everyone went fishing, except me and @pjd1 who I conned / convinced to explore a gut with me. We headed into the G2 (second gut) where he passed his practical assessment of Wheke Spotting 101 with flying colours - you can read the assessments here:
Wheke Spotting 101 - Practical Assessment Part A - spot a wheke with guidence
Wheke Spotting 101 - Practical Assessment Part B - spot a wheke without guidence
We floated out from the low intertidal zone to the shallow subtidal and there he told me that he had not seen the amount of diversity that is here except at the Poor Knights and Mokohina which are off shore islands and I was shocked! This is the world that I am used to and that I think is the norm and yet I now know, from someone who has been to lots of places in Aotearoa, that here is even more remarkable than what even I thought!
What was even more exciting that we achieved a trifector first with a Berthella ornata that neither of us had seen before or knew what it was and this was also the first obs for NW and on the species page is says Endemic to New Zealand, where it is becoming less common.
Here is a small selection showing the diversity we saw in a 2 hour period, around the time of the low.
Observações
Fotos / Sons
What
Família OctopodidaeObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Wheke Spotting 101 - Practical Assessment Part A
The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that the student can spot a wheke with guidence.
Arriving at the G2, @pjd1 sat on a rock about 1.5m away from me to put on fins while I scanned the water which was about 100mm deep.
Me: There is a wheke between you and me
Pjd1: Are you the wheke whisperer?
(Well what can I say - how can you do a pracitcal assessment without any wheke to spot? LOL)
A minute later:
Me: The wheke is show the camoflauge skills in the browns
Next minute:
Me: The wheke is sneaking across the grey pebbles playing "you can't see me"
(Sneaky wheke knew that with the wind creating distortion on the top of the water it would be hard to spot)
Once spotted the wheke decided to go and introduce itself and explore the fin (photo 2) seeing if it would make a good hidy hole (Photo 3). Deciding that wasn't a good idea (and I am not sure if that is because it would not fit or because of toe jams) it retreated (Photo 4) then paused by the leg for a scale shot (Photo 5) before going about it's other business.
Assessment Mark: A
Part B of the assessment is spotting a wheke without guidence - but that is another story which can be found here:)
Fotos / Sons
Observador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Mollusk eggs of some type.
Shallow subtidal, under a ledge, G2
Fotos / Sons
What
Esponjas (Filo Porifera)Observador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Not sure if this is a sponge or sea squirt.
Shallow intertidal on a rock wall hiden behind seaweed.
Fotos / Sons
What
Ecklonia radiataObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Growing in the g2 - shallow subtidal.
Fotos / Sons
What
Berthella ornataObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Not got a clue what this is but will start with nudibranch because of the fan at the back.
low intertidal zone under a rock.
(Ignore the location - I assure you it is not up the cliffs - the gps obviously is getting confused here - oh surprise!)
Fotos / Sons
What
Ophioplocus huttoniObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Nice to be able to show @pjd1 this species of brittle star. Thbe second photo has the arm of the Ophionereis fasciata for size comparrision.
Found under a rock in the low intertidal zone.
(Once again ignore the location as this was not found on the coastal walk track amoung rawiri but that is what the gps thinks.)
Fotos / Sons
What
Scutus breviculusObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
One of the best examples of the shield shell exposed that I ahve seen.
Found under a rock in the low intertidal zone.
Fotos / Sons
What
Caramujo-Trombeta-Peludo (Monoplex parthenopeus)Observador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
This was first spotted by @pjd1 and I initally thought it may be a seed pod and from the first photo you can see why. When we turned it over that changed everything as it is not a seed pod and I do not have a clue where to start with what it could be (I cannot find Gastropoda Plantae in the db) but I guess gastropod is the best place.
We did study the growth and it seems to be a part of the animal and not a strange algae growing over it, as it covers the whole shell, molding into the grooves without any of the "outer" shell visable.
Found in a rocky area that was exposed at the low tide and this was not in the water. The area is not prone to strong wave action or surges.
Length about 80mm
Fotos / Sons
What
Metadromia wilsoniObservador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
Stunning bright red crab found wandering around in the low intertidal zone.
Fotos / Sons
Observador
tangatawhenuaDescrição
A beautiful gem doris spotted in the G3 by one of the tama of @pjd1
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