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After 2 weeks of waging war on wattle (Acacia longifolia) and not much Nature Watching, it was wonderful to be back in the moana and within 5 minutes come across a wheke as usual. Seeing as they are quite common I guess that is why the english name is the common octopus - that would be right @pjd1 ? *LOL* Orange eyes = the common octopus or Macroctopus maorum
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After 2 weeks of waging war on wattle (Acacia longifolia) and not much Nature Watching, it was wonderful to be back in the moana and within 5 minutes come across a wheke as usual. Seeing as they are quite common I guess that is why the english name is the common octopus - that would be right @pjd1 ? *LOL* Orange eyes = the common octopus or Macroctopus maorum
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After 2 weeks of waging war on wattle (Acacia longifolia) and not much Nature Watching, it was wonderful to be back in the moana and within 5 minutes come across a wheke as usual. Seeing as they are quite common I guess that is why the english name is the common octopus - that would be right @pjd1 ? *LOL* Orange eyes = the common octopus or Macroctopus maorum
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This cheeky wheke, not wanting to miss an opportunity to be on Nature Watch like all of the other wheke in the whanau, tapped the foot of @rongoa a few times to get our attention, else we would not have seen it. Once it had our attention the little poser then changed colour which I have not captured before. It is hard being a wheke model so at the end of the photo shoot, it shut it's eye to sleep (last photo). I will have to do more research on this phenomenon, for if the wheke are now letting us know they are there, it will make it easier for @pjd1 and whanau to find them *LOL*
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This cheeky wheke, not wanting to miss an opportunity to be on Nature Watch like all of the other wheke in the whanau, tapped the foot of @rongoa a few times to get our attention, else we would not have seen it. Once it had our attention the little poser then changed colour which I have not captured before. It is hard being a wheke model so at the end of the photo shoot, it shut it's eye to sleep (last photo). I will have to do more research on this phenomenon, for if the wheke are now letting us know they are there, it will make it easier for @pjd1 and whanau to find them *LOL*
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This cheeky wheke, not wanting to miss an opportunity to be on Nature Watch like all of the other wheke in the whanau, tapped the foot of @rongoa a few times to get our attention, else we would not have seen it. Once it had our attention the little poser then changed colour which I have not captured before. It is hard being a wheke model so at the end of the photo shoot, it shut it's eye to sleep (last photo). I will have to do more research on this phenomenon, for if the wheke are now letting us know they are there, it will make it easier for @pjd1 and whanau to find them *LOL*
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This cheeky wheke, not wanting to miss an opportunity to be on Nature Watch like all of the other wheke in the whanau, tapped the foot of @rongoa a few times to get our attention, else we would not have seen it. Once it had our attention the little poser then changed colour which I have not captured before. It is hard being a wheke model so at the end of the photo shoot, it shut it's eye to sleep (last photo). I will have to do more research on this phenomenon, for if the wheke are now letting us know they are there, it will make it easier for @pjd1 and whanau to find them *LOL*
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This little wheke was lurking under a ledge and sitting on a rock in the shallow subtidal zone and was first spotted when @rongoa was standing on rocks out of the water and by a pool that I was going to hop into. After popping up to see what was happening (first photo) and realising that it was only the local Nature Watchers, this wheke just laxed out and we have never seen one so lax as they are usually tucked away tightly. After taking a few photos front on, I slipped into the deep pool to see if I could get side shots and even though one eye opened to see what I was up to he didn't move, quite content to stay laxed out.(Photo 5) He even allowed me to put my camera about 250mm away and didn't even bother to touch it, as others have done in the past (and I have never been able to get the camera that close to one before). After about 20 minutes he decided to call it quits and slipped back (last photo). Photographed in situ. This wheke was not touched or harmed in any way by the photo shoot.
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This animal is about 40+cm long. Sitting in a rock pool 3m from low tide. It came out of its hole when we arrived, stretched out its arms changed colour and then went back to its position under the ledge. It did not swim for cover under the seaweed but continued to lunch on barnacles. The empty shells of its feast can be seen scattered around its hole.
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This animal is about 40+cm long. Sitting in a rock pool 3m from low tide. It came out of its hole when we arrived, stretched out its arms changed colour and then went back to its position under the ledge. It did not swim for cover under the seaweed but continued to lunch on barnacles. The empty shells of its feast can be seen scattered around its hole.
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This animal is about 40+cm long. Sitting in a rock pool 3m from low tide. It came out of its hole when we arrived, stretched out its arms changed colour and then went back to its position under the ledge. It did not swim for cover under the seaweed but continued to lunch on barnacles. The empty shells of its feast can be seen scattered around its hole.
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This animal is about 40+cm long. Sitting in a rock pool 3m from low tide. It came out of its hole when we arrived, stretched out its arms changed colour and then went back to its position under the ledge. It did not swim for cover under the seaweed but continued to lunch on barnacles. The empty shells of its feast can be seen scattered around its hole.
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This animal is about 40+cm long. Sitting in a rock pool 3m from low tide. It came out of its hole when we arrived, stretched out its arms changed colour and then went back to its position under the ledge. It did not swim for cover under the seaweed but continued to lunch on barnacles. The empty shells of its feast can be seen scattered around its hole.
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A wheke displaying the camoflague technique between big browns in the low intertidal zone. They lurk under them and to see them you get down at their level. Slowly move the sea weeds out of the way and the wheke will slowly move, enabling you to get good photos, including the eyes which are used to aid with species identification. Add these to your wheke spotting 101 notes @pjd1 and don't forget, the practical assessment is coming up soon! *LOL*
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A wheke displaying the camoflague technique between big browns in the low intertidal zone. They lurk under them and to see them you get down at their level. Slowly move the sea weeds out of the way and the wheke will slowly move, enabling you to get good photos, including the eyes which are used to aid with species identification. Add these to your wheke spotting 101 notes @pjd1 and don't forget, the practical assessment is coming up soon! *LOL*
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A wheke displaying the camoflague technique between big browns in the low intertidal zone. They lurk under them and to see them you get down at their level. Slowly move the sea weeds out of the way and the wheke will slowly move, enabling you to get good photos, including the eyes which are used to aid with species identification. Add these to your wheke spotting 101 notes @pjd1 and don't forget, the practical assessment is coming up soon! *LOL*
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"Wheke Spotting 101 - Practical Assessment Part A The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that the student can spot a wheke with guidence. Arriving at the G2, @pjd1 sat on a rock about 1.5m away from me to put on fins while I scanned the water which was about 100mm deep. Me: There is a wheke between you and me Pjd1: Are you the wheke whisperer? (Well what can I say - how can you do a pracitcal assessment without any wheke to spot? *LOL*) A minute later: Me: The wheke is show the camoflauge skills in the browns Next minute: Me: The wheke is sneaking across the grey pebbles playing ""you can't see me"" (Sneaky wheke knew that with the wind creating distortion on the top of the water it would be hard to spot) Once spotted the wheke decided to go and introduce itself and explore the fin (photo 2) seeing if it would make a good hidy hole (Photo 3). Deciding that wasn't a good idea (and I am not sure if that is because it would not fit or because of toe jams) it retreated (Photo 4) then paused by the leg for a scale shot (Photo 5) before going about it's other business. Assessment Mark: A Part B of the assessment is spotting a wheke without guidence - but that is another story which can be found here:)"
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"Wheke Spotting 101 - Practical Assessment Part A The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that the student can spot a wheke with guidence. Arriving at the G2, @pjd1 sat on a rock about 1.5m away from me to put on fins while I scanned the water which was about 100mm deep. Me: There is a wheke between you and me Pjd1: Are you the wheke whisperer? (Well what can I say - how can you do a pracitcal assessment without any wheke to spot? *LOL*) A minute later: Me: The wheke is show the camoflauge skills in the browns Next minute: Me: The wheke is sneaking across the grey pebbles playing ""you can't see me"" (Sneaky wheke knew that with the wind creating distortion on the top of the water it would be hard to spot) Once spotted the wheke decided to go and introduce itself and explore the fin (photo 2) seeing if it would make a good hidy hole (Photo 3). Deciding that wasn't a good idea (and I am not sure if that is because it would not fit or because of toe jams) it retreated (Photo 4) then paused by the leg for a scale shot (Photo 5) before going about it's other business. Assessment Mark: A Part B of the assessment is spotting a wheke without guidence - but that is another story which can be found here:)"