Aussie diving, 1st Feb to 15th Feb.....

[almitywife]

im stuck doing family things this weekend but im sure Sas done enough diving for the both of us....

does anyone have any diving to tell us about?

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Petunia is a happy girl...felt well enough to dive this morning and Fish was kind enough to take her diving:blinking: I only needed one dive to break my record for number of Dives in the month of Jan and I missed it yesterday 'cause I was sick:shocked2:

Well today we decided to do Congwong Wall again. When we dropped over the wall it dropped to 16.8 and stayed there pretty well the whole dive until we got back to the channel to go under the bridge. I found it a bit cold in the sharkskin but we still got an hour and 40 minutes thanks to the :worship: Almity :worship: fill. Fish even let me use his tank cause he goes through a bit less air than me.. but that tank was a pretty good fill anyway.

We found a cuttle eating a fish.... I even cropped a couple shots so you can see more clearly the mouth and eye of the fish inside the tenticle/mantle of the cuttle. Felt sorry for the fish as it was still struggling on and off but figured the cuttle deserved his meal ... he worked for it!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

:blinking:I quite like that dive. There is a lot of colour there. Much more growth and colour than the Eastern side of the Island. Fair bit of life too. This time we didn't miss the channel and exited under the bridge at the ramp.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

:blinking:I know those last two shots are a bit dark :doh2: but they come up better when you click on them. The fish that was posing in the centre of the wheel rim didn't stay put long. I got one shot off and approached as the camera recharged the flash but I wasn't quick enough so the first one was the best.

I took a heap of video of the little rays as they burst out of the sand. I've never seen so many rays in one place. I hovered and counted 8 within a few metres. There must have been 15 or more about a foot to 18 inches across.

It was great to get a dive in with some decent viz.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Now for something different. Here are some Pics that Fish took. He does pretty well for someone who says he isn't "into" photography:blinking:

 

[AussieByron]

I got a dive in this morning at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay. Water temp is 26c and the vis is around 20m.

Heaps of Leopard sharks around at the moment with the warm water. Ornate Ghostpipefish with eggs was also spotted.

Green, Hawksbill, and a Loggerhead where all seen on the dive.

So good I am going back out again tomorrow and the next day

Mark

 

[Sas]

Here are some Pics that Fish took. He does pretty well for someone who says he isn't "into" photography

Well he got a boxfish so that is always good

Great pictures petunia, must have been interesting to see a cuttlefish feeding! Glad you got photos Good news that you were well enough to dive today too!

So good I am going back out again tomorrow and the next day

Have fun!

I have a midweek dive planned this week, though NOT at Mornington. I don't know if there is still a warning for the pier but hmm, think I'll give it a miss just to be safe We will probably dive at Rickett's Point Marine Park, which I have never done before, so will be fun!

And then I am out for a birthday dive next Sunday :balloons: Will hopefully distract me from the fact that then I will no longer be in my early twenties

 

[Gudge]

We got two 90 minute dives in on Bundegi Reef today. I was shooting macro again today and I've got a heap of shots to go through. Here are fourI to go on with:

It wouldn't be Bundegi without a Batfish shot:

Oval-spot Butterflyfish:

Flabellina rubrolineata:

Juvenile Yellow Boxfish:

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Great shots as usual Gudge you set the bar pretty high. I would like to know how you manage to get that close to the fish? Are you on a rebreather? Care to share your trick?

Your box fish is yellower than the ones we get they tend to be more orange and round. That is a stunning shot. Now Sas will demand batfish AND box fish every time!

 

[Gudge]

I would like to know how you manage to get that close to the fish? Are you on a rebreather? Care to share your trick?

No rebreather, only OC. With all the money I've spent on camera gear for my wife and I there is no money left for things like rebreathers. There are a few tricks to getting close. Move slowly and deliberately and be patient, NEVER chase fish to get a shot unless you are into shots of fish's behinds. Observe fish carefully as you approach. As you enter their comfort zone you will see their behaviour change, back up a bit and wait and then try to approach again. As they get used to your presence you will be able to get close. Hang around cleaning stations as fish will let you approach closer there than normal (eg the batfish shot). Watch fish as they move around, some will follow routine patterns and follow the same path regularly. Once you see this behaviour set your camera up and be ready for the next pass to grab the shot. If fish are hiding in rocks/coral they will regularly stick their head out to check on you, be ready to grab the shot when they do (eg the boxfish shot). Be ready for anything, you never know when a fish will turn and look at you (eg the butterflyfish shot). Above all be patient and persistent, I still get more than my fair share of fish butts and shots of rocks and coral where the fish used to be.