Each year, the small South Australian town of Whyalla becomes home to one of the most spectacular underwater events: the spawning of the giant Australian cuttlefish.
"First time you go and put your head under the water and see hundreds and hundreds of cuttlefish in this one little area, it just looks like a chaotic kaleidoscope. What the hell is going on here?" said Tony Bramley.
As owner of Whyalla Diving Services and a decades-long advocate for the Giant Australian cuttlefish, Bramley has observed the frenzied and colourful cuttlefish mating that occurs in South Australia's Upper Spencer Marine Gulf Park for years. Once only of interest to fishermen and local scuba divers – who would spread the word to one another that "the cuttles are in" – this marine phenomenon now attracts tourists and researchers from across the world. It's a welcome boost to the small steelworks town of Whyalla, on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
A type of marine invertebrate closely related to the octopus, cuttlefish are whip-smart molluscs that can change color and texture instantly. They've been known to solve puzzles, and can hypnotism their prey by turning their bodies into strobe lights, rapidly pulsing color through their skin to distract and stun an unsuspecting crab or fish. Their camouflage skills put chameleons to shame, and have even attracted the attention of the US military, who have researched the shortchanging abilities of cuttlefish with the hopes of replicating their techniques for army use. If that's not unusual enough, their mating behavior are stage, to say the least.