Catching Crabs??
In the past, blue swimmer crabs were known as ‘blue manna’ or ‘blueys’. Many people, the CO included, will argue that they are the tastiest of all the shellfish. Hence comes their old name of Blue Manna – manna being “food from heaven” They are powerful swimmers and voracious hunters and scavengers. But being such tasty little critters, they are targeted by commercial and recreational fishermen alike.
Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus; formerly known as P. pelagicus) are a tropical species and belong to the Portunidae family. The family also includes other large, edible crabs found in Australia, such as mud crabs.
Crabs from this family can usually be recognised by their flat, disc-shaped hind legs, used as paddles for swimming. They also have nine spikes, called horns, along their carapace, on either side of their eyes.
In Western Australia, blue swimmer crabs can grow to up to 25 cm wide across the carapace with a claw span of up to 80 cm. They eat small fish and crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and occasionally, algae and seagrass. In turn, they are prey for fish and birds.
They are mostly found between Port Hedland and Dunsborough. They live in estuaries, sheltered bays and offshore waters up to 50 m deep.
Estuarine crabs tend to move from estuaries into nearby marine waters during winter. Crabs in marine bays spend their entire lives in the bay.
By day, they usually hide beneath the sand with only their eyes protruding, and then launch themselves at prey. At night they become mobile and search for food.
The cache is not at the listed coordinates.
Instead, they will take you to a sign at the western end of the old Mandurah bridge.
Using the information given on the sign, you need to work out the following:
A: The number of minutes by which all undersize or spawning crabs must be returned to the water
B: The street number in Breakwater Parade for the Mandurah District Office
C: The number of days each year that crabbing in the Peel/Harvey estuary is closed
D: The maximum number of drop nets each boat is permitted to use
E: The sum of all 10 digits in the phone number for Fishwatch to report illegal fishing
F: The Daily Boat Limit allowed, provided there are at least two licensed crabbers aboard.
G: The minimum legal size across the carapace (in mm).
H: Number of legs a crab has (claws are counted as legs).
The coordinates are correct except for decimal minutes.
The correct south decimal minutes are: A + B + C + D - 29
The correct east decimal minutes are: E + F + G + H - 184
If all is going well, you now know where to find that elusive cache…
Good luck with your search!
PS Probably the best way to eat our local Mandurah crabs is to put them straight into a pot of pot of salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes, then slightly cool them so that the meat can be removed from the shell, then served on fresh bread and butter, with freshly ground salt and pepper and a light drizzling of vinegar – manna from above! Enjoy…
FTF Congratulations urch 
and tealby 