Peake Bay Australia

[5by5]

Hi All,

I've been following these forums for a while, my first time post though.

I was reading the case of Shirley Ann Durdin who was attacked by a large Great White in Peake Bay, South Australia in 1985.

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the bay on google maps satellite. It was then I noticed a large wake in the upper right side of the bay.

At maximum zoom I can't see a boat or vessel of any kind. I'm not sure what it is, if anything, just found it interesting.

Can anybody with imaging software pehaps enhance the image?

 

[Golden Duck]

 

[Gwynbleidd]

Hello and welcome to UM!  I've only just recently come back after a long, long break myself.   

I haven't heard about of the Durdin case and may follow up on it.  I hope someone is able to help you with enhancing the image.  Are you thinking it might be something to do with the wake you can see in the water?

[5by5]

Hi there,

Thanks for replying.

I'm just curious, It looks like a substantial wake and yet I can't make out any boat in the image. I think it's to large for a paddle board or something similar. The shark that attacked Lesley Ann was estimated to be 6m, which is large for a Great White.

[Timothy]

1 hour ago, 5by5 said:

Hi there,

Thanks for replying.

I'm just curious, It looks like a substantial wake and yet I can't make out any boat in the image. I think it's to large for a paddle board or something similar. The shark that attacked Lesley Ann was estimated to be 6m, which is large for a Great White.

Welcome to UM.

Please initially just take a screenshot. That will help. Try to upload it. Too big? Halve the dimensions in paint and save another version until it fits. As .jpg is fine. 

Next: please post a link of the search showing that area, or please give an accurate latitude and longitude.

What you’re talking about doesn’t make sense. So please provide as many specifics as possible.

[5by5]

Hi there,

This is the area, north of port lincoln, southern australia.

I will post a screen shot of the wake in my next post.

[Robotic Jew]

4 hours ago, 5by5 said:

Hi All,

I've been following these forums for a while, my first time post though.

I was reading the case of Shirley Ann Durdin who was attacked by a large Great White in Peake Bay, South Australia in 1985.

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the bay on google maps satellite. It was then I noticed a large wake in the upper right side of the bay.

At maximum zoom I can't see a boat or vessel of any kind. I'm not sure what it is, if anything, just found it interesting.

Can anybody with imaging software pehaps enhance the image?

 

Are you asking us to see if this is a shark? Or maybe a Nessie type deal?

[5by5]

Hi Robot Jew,

No, I have no idea what it could be. My original reason for looking at this area was to get an idea of the topography relating to a shark attack in 1985, then on zooming in, I noticed the large wake. I just thought it looked strange and wondered if anyone had a simple answer.

[5by5]

Here is the wake I'm talking about.

[Habitat]

Obviously a boat

[Sundog]

Hey, 5by5. Yeah, interesting. Took a closer look on Gmaps. Can't make a boat out or anything at max zoom but my guess is a jet ski. There's some buildings on the beach to the right. You can see a blurred shape on the beach which could be a 4x4 with a smaller blurred shape behind which might be the trailer. But pretty hard to make anything out for sure at that size.

[Robotic Jew]

25 minutes ago, Habitat said:

Obviously a boat

Obviously, it's Bigfoot. His interdimensional portal messed up and plopped him into the sea.

[5by5]

Hi blackdogsun,

I was thinking jet ski or similar. It just struck me as odd the way the wake doesn't extend back further. If you look at a boat wake it trails way back. Thanks for your reply.

[5by5]

Now that would be interesting, Bigfoot Vs Jaws!

Sounds like a B movie

[Jon the frog]

2 minutes ago, 5by5 said:

Hi blackdogsun,

I was thinking jet ski or similar. It just struck me as odd the way the wake doesn't extend back further. If you look at a boat wake it trails way back. Thanks for your reply.

Maybe he just started movin....

[Habitat]

10 hours ago, 5by5 said:

Hi blackdogsun,

I was thinking jet ski or similar. It just struck me as odd the way the wake doesn't extend back further. If you look at a boat wake it trails way back. Thanks for your reply.

Probably an aluminium boat of some kind, that blends in with the sparkling sea, it has probably not long taken off from a standing start. 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Habitat

['Walt' E. Kurtz]

9 hours ago, Robotic Jew said:

Obviously, it's Bigfoot. His interdimensional portal messed up and plopped him into the sea.

It big foot water skiing 

[Timothy]

On 7/16/2019 at 10:06 PM, 5by5 said:

Here is the wake I'm talking about.

Why you would consider this anything untoward is the real mystery here.

No hard feelings, but nothing anyone reasonable would consider as anything out-of-the-ordinar either.

[ChrLzs]

Oh, if only I was qualified to answer.... 

I just used to live there, was Operations Manager for a marine research centre nearby, and spent a lot of my time boating in the region.......  

..... Oh, and image analysis and enhancement is my hobby...

Anyway, I'll do my best - this bay is popularly called Moonlight Bay, and it is a beautiful area.  So, here's that scene at about the highest magnification it can stand and lightly enhanced:

And see that tiny black squiggle near the bottom - that's roughly how big a typical small boat or LARGE jetski would be....  A smaller one, eg a small aluminium dinghy, would be lost in the resolution of the image - and that sun side-lighting would further help obliterate it in all that scattered glare.

Given several factors, I call jetski or dinghy (I think the latter is actually more likely - jetskis aren't hugely popular there):

• the location (close to shore, shallow)
• the fact that it was obviously stationary at first
• the strong nature of the wake (indicates medium to high speed .. marine animals, even large ones, generally don't leave much wake due to the nature/efficiency of their movement)

There are a lot of large marine animals in that area, but Moonlight Bay is not very deep, nor is it a feeding ground, so definitely not a Great White or Southern Right whale.  And as above, dolphins (while common there) generally don't leave such wakes...  Yup, small dinghy or jetski. 

 

[ChrLzs]

And as well-spotted by blackdogsun, here's the 4WD/SUV and trailer from whence the boat or jetski came:

[Golden Duck]

2 hours ago, ChrLzs said:

And as well-spotted by blackdogsun, here's the 4WD/SUV and trailer from whence the boat or jetski came:

I have to say I'm not real impressed with a jet ski because it to have been stationary.

To my untrained eye it looks like it was stationary near a darker patch; ie, structure. My guess is recreational fishing 

[Habitat]

3 hours ago, ChrLzs said:

 marine animals, even large ones, generally don't leave much wake due to the nature/efficiency of their movement)

Correct

[ChrLzs]

3 hours ago, Golden Duck said:

I have to say I'm not real impressed with a jet ski because it to have been stationary.

To my untrained eye it looks like it was stationary near a darker patch; ie, structure. My guess is recreational fishing 

Agreed.  I too lean towards a little aluminium dinghy - just about everyone who lives around there has one.

Drifting a little offtopic as I revisit in my mind....  There are lots of quite protected bays, often with very calm sea conditions.  I tried to find an image that gives a good impression of what this area is like, and found this which instantly took me back (it's from http://championthewonder.com/port-lincoln-beyond-beauty-eyrewhere/):

I have tried fishing several times in this bay, and the results were way less than stellar....  It's not a highly frequented fishing spot.  It's also not very well known, even amongst the locals, and has gravel road only access.  But it truly is a lovely place to swim/snorkel/relax.  (You just try to forget about the occasional Great White that might wander past - they were much more interested in the tuna farms about 25kms to the south..).   The region is just full of places like this - when it's good weather, you can pretty much head to any beach like this.. and if anyone is there, just go to the next one and it's all yours...  it's a beautiful part of the world, and I plan to retire there!