There's plenty of rumblings among Perth crayfishers that the fabled 'white run' for WA's rock lobsters is now underway – or just about to begin.
The 'white run' is where western rock lobsters malt their distinctive red shells, turn a pinkish white and walk to deep water.
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Dog catches live lobster
Devoted to the Ocean's Alex Schulze has taught his dog how to catch lobsters
Recfishwest said the fishing is relatively easy during the 'white run' and the vast majority of the season's recreational catch will be made during this time, so there's enormous anticipation among fishers.
But unlike the sharply-defined bureaucracy of the season's start date, there is no official beginning for the white run.
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Like the wind and tide and swell it's down to observations of nature to tell if it's happening, and most crayfishers are looking for clues in what divers are catching.
Diver Aleks Ćeklić posted a photo on social media on Monday showing one 'white' crayfish alongside a brace of reds.
Speaking to WAtoday, he said there are a few whites around at the moment, but not as many as there were at this time last year.
"Judging by the number of empty shells I saw on the sea floor, the annual run shouldn't be very far away at all," he said.
"I'd hazard a guess it being a matter of days rather than a matter of weeks - just in time for Christmas."
The timing of the white run is often said to be linked to the lead up to full moon, and with a new moon emerging on Tuesday and a full moon expected on December 14, Mr Ćeklić may well be on the money.
However, other divers and pot pullers are far more blunt in their assessments.
"Four whites in one pot this morning, it's on," crayfish diver Jack Backers wrote.
"Every one we've caught has been white since sat except for one," Adam O'Hare said..
"I hear the White Walkers are coming, are you ready?" Pete Beardmore posted, alluding to the menace coming from the north in popular TV program Games of Thrones.
Perhaps the surest way to tell if the whites are indeed coming is to keep an eye on Perth's boat ramps - if they're jammed, it's on.
Until then, we'll just have to keep watching the water.