Name: The site name "Vogelsteen" is from the early Afrikaans/Dutch meaning "Bird Rock". Named for the large rock favoured by seabirds as a perch and lightly coated in guano. Depth: Maximum depth is about 12 m quite far out on the sand. Most diving is 9 m and shallower. Marine life: This is a very good site for Cerianthids (burrowing anemones). Cerianthids are common here where black mussel shell beds exist. less common in stony rubble/gravel, and even less common in sand. Depth range from about 6 to 11 m, as that is where the shell beds are. (There seem to be far fewer cerianthids recently - April 2012. This may be a seasonal variation.) Colour variation from most common with very pale tentacles, to pale with dark inner tentacles, purple or blue outer tentacles, red-brown outer tentacles or base of outer tentacles. They are distributed along the coastline from Cow and Calf to at least a couple of hundred meters northeast, and probably further. Generally, if the substrate is black mussel shell beds with silt, they are common and can be as many as about 5 in a square meter, sometimes quite close (within 150 mm). Largest tentacle spread is about 100 mm, the largest tube diameter about 25 mm. The amount of tube that extends above the surface varies from about 75 mm to about 30 mm. The tube is made of threads produced by nematocysts on the surface of the animal which form a felt-like material which entraps particles of sand and silt to form a soft, tough leathery tube which extends about 400 mm into the substrate. The species has not yet been described and is new to science. Specimens were sent to a specialist in Russia for description. This is the type locality for the species. The shallows close inshore and behind the Vogelsteen are worth a visit in very calm conditions as the biodiversity is considerable. Photography: Macro and close up equipment is recommended as the visibility is often poor. Topography: Moderate relief close to shore, but fairly flat with only small boulders and outcrops followed by a band of black mussel shells packed with silt and pebbles, then flat sand at about 11 m. The bed of silted mussel shells is at a depth of generally about 8 to 10 m along the coast about 20 to 50 m from the water’s edge. The width of this zone varies considerably from place to place. There may be a lot of fine silt deposit on the bottom, concentrated at times in patches up to a few cms thick, and easily disturbed to reduce visibility. The coastline runs almost exactly magnetic east-west.