Navy called in after snorkeller confuses sea urchins for deadly underwater mines

NAVY divers were sent to Mosman after a snorkeller spotted high-explosive underwater mines off Clifton Gardens ... only it turned out they weren’t so explosive.

The Navy was called in to deal with this sea urchin. Picture: North Sydney Police

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A PAIR of sea urchins were confused for unexploded mines at Mosman last week, police said.

A man snorkelling off Clifton Gardens called police after spotting the creatures and was convinced they were anti-shipping mines.

Police were sceptical and showed the man photos of mines and urchins — but he was adamant.

Underwater mines, not to be confused with sea urchins. Picture: ThinkStock

“We ran through some pictures of mines with our snorkeller and for good measure photos of sea urchins as we were a little sceptical,” North Sydney Police said on Facebook.

“However our snorkeller was adamant they were in fact mines, so taking no precautions the Navy was called in to make an assessment.”

But the Navy’s specialist divers were not immediately available and so water police had to “babysit” the urchins overnight and put a maritime exclusion zone in place.

The divers investigated on Thursday morning and found two sea urchins among the rocks.

“Granted they are a healthy size but still, sea urchins. Never a dull moment,” the police said on Facebook.

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