One of the all-time great movie lines inspired this series, "We’re gonna need a bigger boat!" If only my geo-wife and my bank manager would let me buy one…
One of my favourite past times is to take my little tinny out on Lake Macquarie and spend some time swimming around the sand islands, having a fish at the drop-over, or just putting around enjoying the sun with the geo-family.
The 1st May 2002 marked a big day for the lake, with the cessation of commercial fishing licences. In slightly more than a decade, the fish stocks have increased, and some of the apex predators are starting to return in more numbers to this environment. In some circles, this has caused hysteria, as every fisherman with a smartphone can now upload footage of the sharks they see. It is well known however that the Newcastle/Stockton/Port Stephens region is a nursery for sharks, and it should be no surprise that they are here in the lake too.
This series is dedicated to a range of creatures you might find in the lake if you spend enough time here. I’ve met most of them in recent years, although haven’t come face to face with the two largest… yet! We have lost the odd fish over the years to some cheeky seals though!
The caches in this series are not found at the listed coordinates. I have instead attempted to develop a lake based piece of geo-art.
We’re gonna need a bigger boat #3 – Sand Whiting (Sillago Ciliata)
Distribution - Sand whiting, also known as summer whiting, silver whiting and blue-nose whiting, inhabit the inshore waters of eastern Australia including coastal beaches, sand bars, bays, coastal lakes, estuaries and rivers as far as the tidal limits. They typically form large schools across sand banks near river mouths and in the surf zone. Sand whiting generally favour sandy or muddy sand substrates in shallow water to about 6 metres depth.
Size - Sand whiting can reach a maximum length of around 47 centimetres. But good luck to you if you see them that big in the Lake. I caught a 45cm whiting off the rocks at Newcastle beach once and was so surprised I almost didn’t recognise it as a whiting!
Characteristics - Sand whiting are a member of the family Sillaginidae. They are silvery white in colour, with plain yellowish sides. Dark blotches are present at the base of the pectoral fins. In terms of shape, they are fairly elongate and only slightly compressed. The snout is relatively long and conical. Sand whiting feed on marine invertebrates, including crustaceans (yabbies, prawns and soldier crabs), polychaete worms and bivalve molluscs (pipis). Sand whiting use their conical snout to forage for benthic animals through sand and mud. This species is known to bury itself in soft sand and mud when alarmed.
Confusing species - Sand whiting are similar in appearance to yellow-finned whiting (Sillago schomburgkii), however the dark blotches on the pectoral fin base in sand whiting are absent in yellow-finned whiting.
Fishing Tips - Whiting are generally caught using live baits such as worms, soldier crabs and yabbies (nippers). Fresh peeled prawns can also be used. They also like a little red plastic bead on the top of the bait, especially if you use worms.
Information largely sourced from:
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/sw-species/sand-whiting
So where’s the cache? The cache is located at S32 59.??? E151 38.???
A little puzzle should help you get there.
Be careful of muggles please as it can be a busy area, especially on weekends and early mornings and late afternoons.
If you are in the area, why not try and connect with some of the local area geocachers? Check out HAVOC on Facebook - the Hunter Area Victims of Caching!
Background image: Colossal Octopus by Pierre Denys de Montfort († 1820) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons