Eastern stargazer at Second Valley - Steve ReynoldsEastern stargazer at Second Valley - Steve Reynolds

I love alliterations, and my blog titled Steve’s Scuba Site is no exception. It was a Sunday, almost six years ago, when I wrote a post titled “Struck by Stargazer @ Second Valley”. I went on to report:

Scuba Steve may have been struck by a stargazer at Second Valley on Saturday 17th (seventeenth) January (2009). The 30cm-plus specimen may have struck me on the legs as I lay on the seabed. When I turned to see what had struck me, I saw what appeared to be a fish carcass settling on a nearby sand patch. A closer inspection revealed that it was actually a live stargazer.

Stargazer, Second Valley by Steve Reynolds
Steve’s Stargazer, sitting on the sand

I managed to take a photo of the fish before it turned around on the spot and proceeded to bury itself in the sand. I managed to take a second shot of it before it completely disappeared into the sand.

 

Stargazer, Second Valley by Steve Reynolds
Steve’s second shot of the stargazer (settling into the sand)

It seems to be an eastern stargazer, Kathetostoma laeve. Large specimens are said to be known to bite divers during night dives.”

Phill Mercurio commented on my post by adding, “I have heard of one of the stargazers under Edithburgh jetty getting crazy at one of the guys from Sea Optics.”

By Steve Reynolds

Steve Reynolds is the current President of MLSSA and is a long-standing member of the Society. Steve is a keen diver, underwater explorer, photographer and is chief author of the Society's extensive back catalogue of newsletters and journals.

One thought on “A stargazer struck a scuba diver at Second Valley”
  1. G’day Steve Reynolds. Stargazers, Second Valley, Kelp forest and Seadragons were in my mind this month when I was a conference widow with 4 days snorkeling and diving around Rottnest Island. I looked and looked for seadragons in dedicated sanctuaries where there had been recent sightings. Alas, these eyes that turn 60 in January, 2015, did not sea any. That does not stop me from sharing the quest. As I went through hardrives of files to find images that I knew I had, you can imagine the memories that were triggered. Ultimately, the weedy seadragon in the final cut was from dragon alley below the Barrenjoey lighthouse north of Sydney last June. The leafies were from solo dives at The Bluff, Victor Harbor and one of countless dives at Rapid Bay Jetty. I put this together and I hope that it sparks a revived association with MLSSA. I invite videographers, photographers, bloggers and like minded others to help me DIVE and CARE and DARE to make a difference for sea life using http://www.divecaredare.com as a non-monetised, education platform. Comment and feedback most welcome. Searagon Search Rottnest Island Little Armstrong Bay URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L91IxKeH-ZA

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