Sometimes I feel like a real photographer and sometimes I don’t. The Havelock Mussel Festival was one occasion when I didn’t. The problem was that I saw so many old friends from my time at Cawthron, when I was heavily involved with the marine farming industry, that I wanted to talk rather than take photographs. But I did get some:
This event is always a fun day. Amongst all the bars, food stalls and entertainment, there’s some good science on display. This was the Cawthron stand, showing off their latest babies:
They are called Geoduck, pronounced Gooeyduck. Adult specimens are a great hit with the ladies.
Scientists often get quite enthusiastic when asked to describe their work. This guy has obviously made a big discovery:
The NIWA stand was a great hit with the children, a remote-controlled underwater vehicle for them to play with:
It could be made to squirt, under direction of its controller:
For the young biologists out there, they had some baby hapuku (grouper):
Sanford had a food stall, selling oysters. The general manager of their aquaculture operations was working hard in the background.
It reminded me of the TV programme ” Undercover Boss” where the big chief works alongside or under their (usually much more competent) staff. Except I think it would be impossible for Ted to go undercover. Even with a shave, stomach stapling and a few centimetres off his height people would still recognise him. In contrast to the TV version he seemed to be competent at what he was doing.
I was in time for the tail end of the mussel shucking competition. The winner, from the Sanford team, got chance to have a crack at the world record. 200 mussels opened in 2 min 14 sec, if my memory is correct. Held by this guy’s sister!
He was quick but not quite quick enough, missing out on the record by six seconds or so.
The events were started by a toot on a steam whistle. Quite a large steam whistle:
For those into that sort of stuff, there was plenty of retro music:
Even the Topp Twins, but I missed out on photographs of them. No doubt I was talking to someone.