Welcome

This is a new home for The VBOP project. It was formerly set up as a free NING group but unfortunately that will be closed down at the end of this month. So all the connect from there will be moved over to here (well most of it, everything t6hat is possible).

Also this site will be set up a little more opening than before, you don't have to join anything, you can post your observations elsewhere in the many Social Networks that make up WEB 2.0. This [place should be a convenient place for you to link to those places, post & photos.

This will also be a great place to find out what needs to be observed and how to record it

Drifting North Again

This panorama was taken at the beach 5 car park and shows how the sandbars are attached to the beach at the southern end (see this photo full size). You can also see the ruts developing into rip channels also point to a return to genrally northerly longshore drify

Does Size Matter

Pipi Shell from Venus Bay (note the chipped edge again)

Compared with Pipi shells in New Zealand.
My hand is the same one in both photos, by the way. I suspect the shells are the same species. The difference is there is a "cultural" size limit as well as a 150 bag limit when collecting Pipis, and most shellfish, in New Zealand.
Do we need a size limit as well as an enforce limit to be imposed? Before all the pipis are gone from our beach.

I undertook an improptu survey of pipi shells as I walk from beach 1 to beach 2. I picked up the larger shells thinking i would check their size. then I noticed their edges. Of the eleven shells I had picked up, ten had chipped edges. Further none had the tell tale little hole near the crown indicating they had been killed by another hungry mollusc. These shells where probably all forcefully open with a knife! To say the least I was shocked that they vast majority of shells showed sign of being open and discarded on the beach.

Maxium Tidal Range for 19 years, over next three days

Over the next three days as we approach the full moon the tides at Venus bay are predicted to be at the highest and lowest with a 18.6 year cycle. Coresponding when the moon and sun being in direct mutual alignment and at there closest points to earth. This can occur on either a new moon or a full moon. (there is a reply in this forum that explains this in more detail)

Probably the most interesting place to make observations will be at low tide. When the recents movement of sand should form interesting ruts and pools.