HUNTING THE OCTOPUS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 29

HUNTING THE OCTOPUS

SPORT IN A DIVING DRESS

Hunting in diving-dress the small octopuses which infest the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay would be an exciting, safe, and pleasant summer pastime in the opinion of Mr. J. E. Johnstone, of Ivanhoe (writes L. T. Luxton in the “Argus”). Mr. Johnstone is one of the bestknown deep-sea divers in Melbourne. He was formerly an Instructor of diving in the Royal Navy. Proud of his work, and with a strong appreciation of the beauty and wonder of the underwater world, Mr. Johnstone has a disinterested enthusiasm for the conversion of others to his cult. “The best cure for an atheist,” he says, “is to put him in a diving-dress and leave him below for a while to find out the wonders of the sea for himself. He will believe in a Creator when he comes up. There’s vivid colour everywhere under the sea—far more vivid than anything you see on land — with everything bathed in an intense green light and striking contrast of red and blue and yellow, and all the shades of the rainbow wherever yon look. Then the sea growth is like a dense jungle with long streamers and clusters of berries and fish darting in and out like silver flashes. Sometimes you just have to stop your work and watch in sheer admiration.

“Small octopuses swarm in the reefs of Sorrento, Dromana. Mornington, and Frankston. Port Phillip Bay is apparently a breeding-ground for octopuses because, although there are thousands of small ones from Ift. to 2ft. in diameter, I have never heard of an octopus larger than 3ft. in diameter being found in the bay waters. My theory is that they breed in the bay, and then when they reach a certain size they go outside to the deep waters of the ocean. There are probably much larger octopuses in the ocean depths than have ever been seen by mem The octopus has such wonderfully powerful eyes—almost like searchlights—that I believe that it is really an inhabitant of the darkness of the extreme ocean depths, and the shallow-water octopuses we see are only stunted offshoots.

1 “On any summer day I could go down anywhere on the reefs off Sorrento, or Portsea, or Mornington and guarantee to find three or four small octopuses. In the intense green light with the sun overhead you could see clearly for about 15ft. to 20ft. all round at. a depth of 20ft. The reefs rise about 6ft. above the sandy bottom, and if you push your quarter-rod steel or spear, which has a handy barb on the end of it, into the crevices under the rocks, yop are almost sure to find an octopus after a while. First of all a tentacle will come out and curl round the end of the spear. Then a sharp prod and the octopus comes out ready for fight. An octopus travels through the water by placing the tips of his tentacles, all bunched together, on the bottom and pushing himself head first through the water with a quick, jumping action —

something like the action of a kangaroo on land. He moves through the water at an amazing speed—faster than a fish swims and much faster than a diver can move. He comes straight at you and coils his tentacles round your legs. The octopus’s plan of attack is to crush his prey to death with his tremendously powerful tentacles, and then eat it with his parrot-like beak. A 2ft. octopus cannot inflict injury on a diver because his throat—the only vulnerable part to an octopus of this size—is encased in the lower part of the helmet and the upper part of the corselet. A clean stab through the head will generally put an octopus out of action almost immediately, but you can lop off two or three of his tentacles and he will still attack with the others. As soon as the octopus sees that he is getting the worst of the encounter he ejects a jet-black fluid which discolours the water and hides him from view. By the time this ‘fog-screen’ has cleared away the octopus has disappeared and you have no idea where he hao gone. Even if he is still in Sight you have no chance of outpacing him under the water, and your best plan is to look for other quarry.

“Large crabs — six to eight inches across the shell —are frequently found under ledges in the reefs, and on a bright day I would guarantee to get a haul of flathead or waiting either by spear or hand. There is no need to look for the fish. They will come up and look at you. The leather-jacket, for instance, is so inquisitive that it is a nuisance. It will come up and nibble at the diving-suit and take a nip at your fingers when you are not looking. “Diving in shallow water is really no more dangerous than swimming. At depths from 20ft. to 30ft. no ablebodied man or youth would feel any ill after-effects. The pressure at this depth is so little more than at the surface that you are just conscious of it. You can feel it pressing the rubber suit round the knees. Sharks are cowardly brutes, easily scared away by a jet of air bubbles. In my long experience of diving I have never been attacked by a shark. In the same way I can say that I have never heard of an air-pump failing except when overtaxed in very deep water. Complete diving outfits, including helmet, corselet, air-pump, pipes, and lines, in good working condition. can be bought second-hand for about £BO, but there are several organisations in Melbourne which would hire them for week-ends at a low rate. The other necessity for shallow-water diving is a fairly large motor-launch — about 24ft.' over-all—capable of carrying about twelve persons. A boat of this sort can be hired for about £3 a day. Diving can be properly enjoyed only on a calm, sunny day, and for that reason winter is unsuitable. Conditions are ideal for diving in summer or late spring, after the so-called equinoctial gales—and I will guarantee then that anyone who has once been down will not be content until he has gone down again and again.”