Hundreds of bait fish have washed ashore mysteriously on the main beach at South Durras as wild weather continues to buffet the south coast.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Friends of Durras spokesman John Perkins photographed the large school of beached bait fish, saying many were still alive at the time.
Mr Perkins, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said he had never seen anything like it. There were hundreds of fish layered along the beach and more in the shallows.
"When waves came in and washed them back, they didn’t swim away,’’ he said.
Mr Perkins said Durras Lake’s entrance to the sea, which had been opened since October last year, closed recently and he wondered if this had caused the fish’s unusual behaviour.
Narooma News editor Stan Gorton said the yellowtail scad and slimy mackerel were plentiful, but in all his years on the coast he had not seen them washed up like this.
The photos have been sent to NSW Fisheries to help solve the mystery.
Meanwhile, Batemans Bay residents are being urged to stay away from the waterfront area with king tides hitting the town on Tuesday.
The SES is urging people to stay away from the promenade area in the central business district.
"Sightseeing is extremely dangerous," a spokesperson said.
Just over 12 months ago high swells ripped-up granite slabs along the Batemans Bay promenade, a popular tourist walk.
Meanwhile, a minor flood warning has been issued for the Moruya River at Wamban.
Up to 144 millimetres of rain has fallen during the past 30 hours with heavy rain forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology for the next 12 to 24 hours. This anticipated rain is expected to cause minor flooding at Wamban.
Authorities say at this stage it is not possible to predict a flood peak due to uncertainty around how much more rain will fall.
