Rock pools at low tide

When there is a very low tide the rocks and pools between the Great Wall of Wasted Money (aka the breakwater) and the tip of Bastion Point are extremely interesting.  There was a very low tide on Monday 30 September and we got to check them out (by walking from the Tip Beach car park).  In most cases where I have attached a scientific name it has come from a Port Philip site.

These first photos are included to show the variety of life in the pools.

A very large Australian RedTriton (Charonia lampas) with the body sticking out!.

Another shell extruding itself.

Winkle tracks!

A sea anemone.

A couple of seastars Meridiastra calcar investigating a triton

The next image shows a medium density of sea stars.

Coscinasterias muricata: this normally has 11 arms but as it multiplies by splitting it is possibly not surprising that one is missing.

A sea urchin

Chitons are normally found welded to rocks.  This large one was laid on the sand and when picked up curled itself up.  One of Frances' books refers to them curling up like an armadillo.  Here is one curled!  As is often the case with invertebrates the defining features seem to need a microscope - if one can understand a statement like "pustules on valves; furry girdle; sutural tufts".

The empty shell of a Shield Shell (or Elephant Snail - Scutus antipodes).  It is forming the base for a lot of 'normal' limpets!

An aggregation of abalone (Haliotis rubra).

An abalone showing its black lip.

A little out of sequence, but we followed up by going on an orchid hunt to Betka and coming down to the Beach found this attractive thatch of sea grass over some vertcially aligned rocks.

In the preamble I mentioned having to walk from Tip Beach car park.  That is because the Bastion Point ramp is (yet again) closed as the Shire attempts to dredge the sand bar from the exit to the ramp.  Some of the issues involved are covered in this article in the Eden Magnet.

My main issues with this are:

1. why do they have to cut pedestrian access along the car park while the dredge is in the area? (that is the biggie for me).
2. why does the exit silt so quickly (this time it was cleared and silted again within 2 weeks)?
3. is the Shire going to sue whoever designed the ramp for bad work?