TheReview Wednesday, October 16,1991 — A2i

: * Outdoors

Wot’s this critter, readers asked ©

What is the item in our photo
today? Do you recognize it?

Where might you expect to find
such a critter?

The story is a fascinating one.
With a couple of unexpected
twists. Come on, you mystery
buffs! Wot’s it?

A local gentleman, a diver, paid
me a visit and volunteered the
details.

My informant was out in his
small boat, checking the waters off
the petrol base in Van Isle Marina.
Another boat had hauled up
nearby, its occupants intent on
observing a THING in the water
below. They waved him over.

The THING proved to be a very
large skate, a good six feet in
length and perhaps weighing in at
about 200 Ib.

What had attracted their atten-
tion was its very strange and
atypical behaviour.

Atypical? Skates are bottom
dwellers where they forage for
their food, often scavenging for
left-overs. But the skate in ques-
tion was floundering about on the
surface as though in great distress.
It was belly up with a large
balloon-like protruberance on its
tummy. A very pregnant skate?
- Not just a fifty percenter?

The skate was in difficulty. It
attempted to submerge time after
time but bobbed to the surface
immediately.

Was the protruberance merely
an ill functioning swim bladder
that had expanded under the
reduced pressure at the surface?

WOT 'S THIS?

At any rate, the bump on its
tummy appeared to be irreducible
and its unhappy possessor,in the
last throes.

My informant decided that the
big fellow, or gal, should be put
out of its very evident misery and
proceeded to do so.

Naturally a very curious gentle-
man, he cut into the protruberance
and out popped a very large skate
egg case. Complete with a round
dozen of developing embryos. At
least part of his speculation was
correct; she was definitely in the
family way.

But surely, it was quite normal
for skates to produce their off-
spring in a less distressing way.
This was not a case of a breech
birth. Could there be quite another
cause of the expectant mother’s
apparent affliction?

My informant dug deeper. In a
partially enclosed membrane, the
THING in our photo was discov-
ered. It was a sort of contrived bag
or purse, fashioned from metal
window screen with its edges
secured with strong cord.

CAPITAL REGION
RECYCLES

Be Smart —- Do your Part

(i ae ee

ae a

GET the DIRT on...
| BACKYARD COMPOSTING

The Capital Regional District
invites you to come to our Mobile
Composting Demonsiration Site

to learn more about composting.
The host of the session is
composting expert John
Stonehouse. See you there!

WHEN? Saturday,

October 19, 1991
Thrifty Foods, Sidney

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
& 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE?
TIME?

CONTACT?

CRD HOTLINE, 360-3030

CY HAMPSON photo

It contained the partially
digested remains of fish, difficult
to identify because of their disen-
tegrating condition. So?

The THING must have been a
sort of bait bag. Had it been used
for catching prawns or shrimps?
As bait in a crab trap?

Had the maker made use of it for
such purpose and then cast it
overboard after the exercise?

Or was this an example of
preparing a nice wee treat for an
expectant mother on the occasion
of a blessed event?

Perhaps a reader of this column
might be able to supply the
answers to our queries. And per-
haps he may now realize that a bait
bag abandoned in the sea may just
continue “‘fishing’’ as it was
designed to function:

Shucks.

e offer a complete range of legal
services, both personal and corporate.
Please enquire about a free initial interview and
estimate of legal costs.

GReal estate.

OFamily law, divorce
and separation.

QWills and estate matters.

Olmpaired driving.

OPersonal injury and
insurance claims.

Olncorporations, business
law and litigation.

OCommercial fishing
and marine law.

Dale R. Henley
Michael A. Walden
Maureen A. Sullivan
Sara E. Pope

Henley & Walden
201-2377 Bevan Ave.
Sidney, B.C. V8L 4M9
Telephone 656-7231

Fax 656-0937

Saturdays by appointment

Henlex
Qaalden

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