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16/09/2005: "GIANT MAORI WRASSE at Saumarez Reef"

Bob Grounds in October 1964 during the first spearfishing safari to Saumarez Reef, The Coral Sea reef almost on the Tropic of Capricorn.

Picture published today for the first time anywhere. The huge 120kg (approx) wrasse was weighed in sections while being filleted aboard the licensed fishing boat.

A better quality shot by Ron Taylor was the cover of Australian Skindivers Magazine in 1965 which included the adventure.

Today there is a campaign by publisher Michael Aw (of Scuba Diver magazine) to save these fish, which is a good thing.

Back in that early era, knowledge and thoughts of the future were entirely different. There was no diving history, no study of coral reefs by divers to guide anyone.

NOTE:Ron Taylor made a 16mm documentary of the expedition aboard Wally Muller's fishing vessel Riversong. The film included the shipwreck USS Francis Preston Blair was initially designed for television but also found a good audience in cinemas packaged as Ron Taylors Shark Fighters programme.

The giant wrasse could not be included in Taylor's film being taken late afternoon when available light was poor for reasonable color film recording.

(Bob wears a Ron Taylor-made wetsuit custom made. Ron Taylor was in his first years making an income from a variety of small enterprises.

These wet suits were of superb USA material and carefully made to a perfect fit. The French-style attached hoods were warmer and sensible.

No zips meant a friend had to help you get out of the suit. A minor task we all accepted).

Bob Grounds tried professional abalone diving for several years after this before becoming a Singapore- based oil rig diver until about 1973.

Today his Sea Coatings diving company saves timber wharf piles from further rot and worm attack. The historic wharf at Tathra NSW is an example.