Howdie

Was sailing at the spot up from Burke drive yesterday on the sandbar and there was definitely some big things moving around. Looked like some kind of ray as saw something about 0.5m size moving around. Also when we stopped on the sandbar every now and then there would be a big movement in the water...

www.google.com:443/maps?q=-32.020193,115.812442&hl=en&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=0

Anyone who sail around there know if these are any kind of dangerous rays?? Might just be some big fish if not...

Hopefully its safe as its a great flat water spot for freestyle in easterly wind...

Thanks!!

Al

Rays digging for shellfish would create a lot of commotion in the shallows.
They are not dangerous, unless you step on them in which case, they may cause you an ugly injury with their tail barb.

So, don't step on them

Iv'e never seen a Stringray before.

not wanting to alarm but I recall there were reports of a shark[s] [presumably small bull / SR whaler] taking birds up that way last year early morning. There are some shallow spots where pelicans, terns etc roost at lower tides. Dog walker or similar early morning venturer reported it.

hmmm ok sooooo super safe then

the sand bar is only about 15 cm deep surely no room for sharks there.. and hopefully the rays would move when they feel a board coming

I would not recomend complacency around rays even very small ones ,I trod on one(3 weeks ago at cervantes) buried in the sand as they do, it was about the size of a dinner plate it arched itself over and drove its barb into the top of my foot leaving a cocktail of poisions one that has a cobbler like effect (couple of hrs of intense pain) the other toxins have a necrotic effect killing the flesh in the area, this coupled with the bacteria present even with antibiotics can lead to infection that is very difficult to deal with,amputations are not uncommon as a result of stingray barb wounds in less piveledged parts of the world.I ended up in hospital a week after the wounding, they cut it open scraped all the dead smelly stuff out stitched it up and drained several litres of antibiotics into my arm and sent me home the next day,that was a week ago still got another week of antibiotics to go and another couple of weeks before its healed enough to attempt sailing.Best case at this point will be 6 weeks of the water.
My advice if you every suffer a ray barb go straight to emergency (not to a gp for a antibiotics as I did) where they will treat it more aggressively.

Sorry to hear that John, it must be tough for you to stay off the water, but at least Huey's been making it a lot less tempting.

Best wishes for your recovery Recycle.

maybe its not such a good spot - will be careful after reading that!!