The GATHERING
Just off the rocky shore, several groups of people stand in hip-deep water, while a few dozen more float face down in the gentle swell. Get a little closer and the focus of their attention starts to become visible. Beneath the surface, countless alien-like creatures are moving in a slow, silent dance.
These peculiar creatures are not aliens, of course, but Australian giant cuttlefish. From May to August each year, these spectacular cephalopods, which can reach almost 1m long, gather in their thousands in False Bay, a wide, shallow arc between Point Lowly and the town of Whyalla. The spot sits high inside Spencer Gulf on the coast of South Australia. The cuttlefish come here to spawn, but where they come from, and why they choose this spot, remains a mystery.
The main attraction
The style and energy with which the animals conduct the business of breeding attracts
