THE STINGRAYS OF HAMELIN
BAY
by Graeme Olsen
They're not really that bad...
| A while ago we ran an online
survey on South West Life asking you what
kind of marine creatures you would most prefer
to swim with. Stingrays came in dead last
- only about 3% of you opted for that choice.
Not surprisingly, dolphins and whales came
in towards the top.
Why is this? Why are stingrays shoved so
far down everyone's list of preferences?
Are they not cute? Are they not friendly?
Are they scary? A friend of mine was certainly
scared by a rather large ray once. There
he was, relaxing on the water on his air
mattress, when he noticed the water go very
dark underneath him. Before we could alert
him to what was going on,
|
|
 |
| he realised for himself that
he was not alone in the water. It was the
first time we'd seen someone almost levitate
and walk on water. |
But put your goggles on, and take
a look under the water, and maybe you'll change
your mind about these misunderstood creatures. What
if you could find a place where the stingrays are
so friendly and tame that they will casually swim
along side you, and on some occasions even feed
out of your hand? What if you could do this at a
local south west beach, with no cost, no huge crowds,
and no appointment needed?
Hamelin Bay, around 20km north of
Augusta, is well known for it's stingrays. The number
and size of them are amazing. The picture above
is one of the smaller ones I saw there recently,
but it's not uncommon to see some that are between
1 and 2 meters across. They have a habit of swimming
around snorkellers at fairly close range, and certain
times of the day they congregate around the boat
ramp and feed off the scraps left by fisherman.
The combination of the friendly stingrays,
plus the interesting fish and plant life in the
bay make it a great snorkelling spot, whatever your
swimming level. There are shallow points for those
who like to stay close to shore, as well as some
great rocks and even shipwrecks for those that want
to go out much further. Whatever your preference,
the water is usually very clear and calm.
Want to know more about the history
of Hamelin Bay? Read our story on The
Wrecks of Hamelin Bay.
Want to know more about snorkelling
in the south west? Read our South
West Guide to Snorkelling.
April 2003
