Some SODS do Castle Rock and Hahei

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Azza

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
1,697
Reaction score
6
Location
New Zealand
# of dives
Myself and a few SODS (Southern Ocean Diving Society-a local club that I was a co creator of. We are a non-profit club whose aim is to get people diving and help with training and up skilling through mentoring and at-cost dive training) went for a dive on Friday at Castle Rock off the Coromandal Coast.
We had fantastic viz at the rock and were treated to some pretty cool fish life.

I have only recently got a camera so these are mainly point and shoot but should give you an idea of how cool our dives were.

To give you an idea of the dive site here is a map. Notice how it rises straight out of 70 metres on the eastern side and 55 on the western. Because of this it gets nice clear blue water.
CastleMap.jpg


From a distance of around 7.5 kilometres
CastleRockDistance.jpg


Up close
TheCastle.jpg


CastleClose.jpg


Check out the clear blue water
Castle.jpg


First sight upon descending are masses of schooling demoiselle
SchoolingDemoiselles.jpg


SchoolingDems.jpg


With Patrolling Kingfish below. (I had to zoom in on these so they are not that clear)
Kingiespatrolling.jpg


On the way down we came across this Sandaggers Wrasse. The Sandaggers are cool fish that follow you around, now everyone thinks they are just being friendly but in fact the cunning little fellows are escorting you out of their territory so you don’t steal one of their harem of female Sandaggers.
SandaggersWrasse.jpg


Seen a pretty cool Finger Sponge at around 36 metres…check out the light from above that shows how good the viz was.
FingerSponge.jpg


FingerSpongeInFocus.jpg


We stayed at 36 metres for around 10 minutes or so then slowly multileveled our way back up.
Sponge
Sponge.jpg


Leatherjacket coming to say hello until I try to take a pic then off she goes
Leatherjacket.jpg


OutaHere.jpg
 
The wall life
Walls.jpg


YellowBallSponge.jpg


This is a Hydroid Tree that the Jasons Miribalis Nudibranch exclusively live on although there wasn’t any on this particular one.
JasonsHydroidTree.jpg


Kina.jpg


Encrusting Sponges…sorry if this appears a little out there…we were in some rather subtle surge…subtle meaning you didn’t realize it was there until you tried to focus on something with your camera
encrustingsponges.jpg


Little Blenny hiding out in a sheltered spot
Blenny.jpg


Red Moki grazing like a cow
RedMoki.jpg


This is so cool to come across. These Demoiselle are hugging the wall and flapping their fins on the wall. They do this for two reasons. One to protect their eggs they have just laid on the wall and two so they send fresh oxygenated water onto the eggs. They also pretty aggressively defend their nest by swimming straight at you until you back off…pretty plucky little blighters
NestingDemoiselle.jpg


The next dive we motored 7.5 kilometres away to Mahurangi (Goat) Island just outside the Hahei Marine Reserve.

After a decent surface interval we jumped back in to not so clear water but still an alright dive.

This was the Little Bay we anchored in
Bay.jpg


Dropping down to around 20 metres we found a little Finger Sponge Farm
FingerSpongeFarm.jpg


Then some “Chalk and Cheese” ball sponges.
SpongesChalkAndCheese.jpg


We also found a cool conch shell that had been turned upside down, probably by a snapper looking for something to eat.
WeeConchUpsidedown.jpg


So I took a photo then turned the poor blighter back the right way so he could carry on with his journey
ConchBackToNormal.jpg


Some Clown Nudibranchs…sorry for the poor focus. I had borrowed Packhorses OMS XXL fins to try as my Jetfins are an XL but a PITA to get on and off. Turns out the OMS fins weigh half the weight of my Jetfins so my trim was all upset because my feet wanted to drift upward all the time. Just shows how changing one item of kit can throw you temporarily out of whack.

Clown2.jpg


ClownNudi.jpg


A well camouflaged Scorpion Fish. These fella’s lie perfectly still on the bottom, looking like a rock, then as something tasty walks past BAM! Quick as a flash they ambush the innocent victim and have him for dinner. You can see how they look like a rock.
CamoScorpionFish.jpg
 
Got Kris to take a photo of the man whose face is always in darkness..
Azza.jpg


So after a good 50 minutes or so we got out to begin the 4 hour journey home but first we decided to check out some of the above water caverns.

How big do you reckon that is?
CaveNosey.jpg


Err Packhorse…where are you going?
CaveWillWeFit.jpg


Flipper…turn on the Salvo
CaveTurnOnTheSalvo.jpg


Looking Back
CaveLookingBack.jpg


The Cliff above the cavern
CaveEntranceLookingUp.jpg




If Local Kiwi divers, and overseas visitors are interested in coming diving with the SODS then feel free to contact us at info@sods.co.nz or check out our local club forum at sods :: Index / sods :: Index

Cheers
Azza
 
Yep mine too. Shame its a 4 hour each way trip with the detour to your place :lol:
 
So when am I going to get my weightbelt back?
 

Back
Top Bottom