Aussie Diving April 1-15

[bowlofpetunias]

We got another two dives in today (Sunday). It was a late start (waiting for the wind to drop off) and a late finish so I've only skimmed through my photos. There were a LOT of jellyfish around today so I spent a lot of time playing around with them just under the surface, here's two I particularly like:

Briliant shots gudge can see why you like them

 

[Sas]

Wow, awesome jellyfish shots Gudge! I see a lot of them but my photos don't turn out like that

I got in two dives today, was going to do a third but it was already quite late so I headed home. Also I was tired from lugging around twin 12L all day, which I was practicing with. I dived at Portsea and Blairgowrie Piers - both had bad conditions - surge at Portsea (which is usually fine however I really noticed the extra drag with the bigger tanks), and a strong current at Blairgowrie so I had to hide behind the pier wall, which was quite shallow. At least I got to see pretty sponges the whole dive though Viz was decent though around 5-6m though it did decline over the day when the ebb tide started. Probably the dredge My pics are from Blairgowrie as didn't want to take the camera out at Portsea with new gear.

Jellyfish shot (on M mode petunia, turned out like a night shot!)

Adorable puffer - was about the size of my finger tip and very inquisitive. At one point I startled it accidentally and it swum away but was so tiny it couldn't swim into the current so it gave up and went back to checking out my camera

Seahorse

This is what I got to look at for most of Blairgowrie because of the current. Usually I find lots of nudis on the ground but I gave up fighting the current and stayed higher up

Hermit crab - I find these critters hilarious

Michael's finds at Portsea - a very old bottle, a newer but still pretty old bottle, a florin, a penny, bits of china and also a bullet. He collects lead pieces too that litter the pier and probably has enough lead now to stock a dive shop. He is going to make lead weights out of a mould with them all.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Wow you are getting such great shots... yes the M mode does emit such a quick intense flash that it always makes it look like a night dive.

I love the jellyfish and puffer fish shots in particular

 

[tiggrr]

Sas, as usual, your shots never disappoint!!

I loved the juvie puffer....aww poor thing couldn't fight the current.....

beautiful colors under that pier!!

 

[thanksforallthefish]

Gudge great shots ... love the first one especially

Sas ... absolutely love the puffer

A very old bottle ... YES ... a torpedo ... not at all common and quite valuable from what I have heard ... great find!!

 

[Sas]

Sas ... absolutely love the puffer

A very old bottle ... YES ... a torpedo ... not at all common and quite valuable from what I have heard ... great find!!

Thanks! Yea he was pretty pleased with the find. The surge moved all the sand away so he found it just lying on top of the sand! Worth a bit for sure.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Got a decent dive in today. There was a Giant Cuttle that fell in love with us and followed us..posed for shots without being fazed but close cameras and divers. I took a fair bit of video.

I decided to try for a different angle of the starfish. The sponge the Pipehorses were in has been totally destroyed and Denis found the white one. We couldn't find any others.

I found this rare Nudi that only lives on the sea tulip. It was on the same ones the cleaner clingfish live on

 

[Gudge]

We got another two dives in today (Monday) to finish off the Easter Break. The conditions were the best of the four days with hardly any wind or swell as there had been on the Friday and Sunday. Here's a couple of shots from today's dive:

Green Turtle:

Up close and personal with a very large Estuarine Cod (a fisheye lens at very close range is not very flattering):

And here's a couple more from Sunday's dive just to show I didn't only shoot jellyfish:

Whitetip Reef Shark:

Hawksbill Turtle (fairly rare on Ningaloo) with my wife Mary in the background:

 

[bowlofpetunias]

nice shots Gudge.. drooling over the viz and we think it is great when we have 10m

 

[tiggrr]

Wow Gudge!! nice pics and that is some AMAZING vis!!!