Goin' North?

This is another catch-up blog meant for Sunday, January 8th., when 'Shark Week' in the south east came to an end in my mind... the only place where it existed for a week as a figment of my childish imagination.

Quite recently oceanic scientists had noted that squadrons of large sharks seemed to be moving south in pursuit of a tropical fish migration attracted by now warmer waters around the south-east corner of our Australian continent. As this trend looked like co-inciding with several annual beach-themed celebrations  (which normally entice masses of people into water frolics) ... my twisted mind conjured up those fun festivals as being like smorgasbord nosh for hungry sharkdom. Indeed, two of the notable gatherings were on the cusp of being postponed due to ominous sightings of large sharks cruising in near vicinity of the event locales. However, intervention by surface and airborne shark watching personal and equipment allowed both of the major events to proceed without the potential predators getting even a sniff of human or animal nourishment.

The toothy finned foragers then appeared in Port Phillip Bay bent on feeding off the likes of Melbourne suburban beaches which are generally packed with prey seeking relief from the heat at this time of year. Slim pickings again I'm afraid. Less than a week ago, a massive storm broke over urban Melbourne dumping record 'gully-washer' down-pours over a wide range of the greater city. The resultant mass transfer of almost every pollutant known to urban man-kind (but predominantly dog droppings) from storm-water drains in

to the bay necessitated closure of almost every beach towards the end of the week... so, otherwise shark-bait humans were warned away from the water for other reasons.

Let's hope the Sharks have learned the lesson that there are no free meals to be had in this neck of the woods... so, they'd best go back north where they are used to the cuisine on offer year-round?