Jason Jardy and his mates from Perth are here for two to three weeks holiday on their 7m Stabi-craft called Black Sabbath. The boys went out fishing off Tantabiddi and after getting a few reef fish, some mackerel and tuna they came in close to the back of the reef in around 40m. On the way they had a whale shark come up to the boat. They stopped the boat and the whale shark curiously came right up to the boat. The boys all had snorkelling gear onboard, so they jumped in to swim with the amazing creature. It had all sorts of fish swimming around with it.  The whale shark simply didn’t want to go away! Eventually the boys kept going and left the whale shark to enjoy its playground.

Whale Shark

Do you own a boat and trailer? If you haven’t been able to get out with the cyclonic conditions we’ve had lately, then perhaps it’s a good time to consider ensuring your trailer is in good shape. The harsh elements of the ocean can certainly effect the makings of a trailer and you need to check that it is safe to use on the road for yourself, your boat and others!

Another good thing to check when you can’t get out on the water, is that you have all the correct safety gear in working order. There’s no use having a fire extinguisher if it has rusted to a point where you can’t use it. Nor is it worth having life jackets if the straps have deteriorated in the sun and northern heat. Make sure you have the correct EPIRB and it is in date and registered to you with the correct details.  Also do some radio checks to ensure your communications are in good working order. Flares are important too, so make sure you have them!

Did you see town beach this week? We have never seen it so covered in weed. After all the rough weather and north-easterly winds, tonnes of weed washed up along the beaches stretching from the marina to the tip of the cape! Wow, if only there was a company that could use it all for fertiliser or something. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the gulf and fishing for both recreational anglers and Kailis Prawns this year. In previous years, high rainfall has led to really good fishing, so let’s hope it does the same again this year!