Spot a Blue Groper At Clovelly Bay

Clovelly Bay is not just a great place for bathing, beach games and barbeques. Just below the surface of the water is a whole new world to explore and home to the legend of ‘Bluey’.

Safety First!
Swimming in the sea can be dangerous, especially for young or unconfident swimmers. Always swim between the flags when available and take note of all warnings and recommendations.

Bluey, an extraordinarily large Blue Groper Fish, became a headline in 2002 when he was supposedly killed by an unknown spear fisherman. Around a year later, reports of Bluey sightings emerged in Clovelly rekindling debate as to whether Bluey’s death was a hoax and if he still lurks in the underwater shadows of Clovelly Bay.

We know that groper fish are found in the coastal waters of southern Australia and are renowned for the remarkable blue color of adult males. With a size of 1.2 meters and possible lifespan of around 35 years it’s unsurprising that Bluey became such a legend. As a rule, only one or two male gropers will occupy an area, and interestingly, when a dominant male groper dies, the largest female will change sex and colour to become the new dominant male.

This clearly makes us question whether Bluey could in fact still be alive. Or perhaps it is the legend of Bluey that will never die as the torch is passed from groper to groper. We can only grab our snorkel and mask, and head out on the legendary trail of Bluey. But remember, they are protected in NSW and it is now illegal to spear fish blue groper.