Aussie Diving 1st to 15th January 2010

[bowlofpetunias]

Yipee I get to start the first Aussie diving thread for the New Year! Happy New Year everyone and best wishes for lots of safe diving in 2010!

We got out on Monday but my camera battery died after just one lousey shot and so I missed out on the sole shots

We haven't had much chance to dive much over the holidays with family commitments but we finally got out again yesterday. The Viz in Botany Bay was better than it has been in a long time. Lots of silt on the kelp from the dredging.

I finally got a couple decent shots of a Senator Wrasse.. they are quick little beggars I didn't realize this one was in a cleaning station till I saw the clingfish on his tail when I downloaded my pics

This is the shot I got of the Cuttle after the Blue Grouper swam into him.. he wasn't impressed

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Boxfish "dancing" with a White ear

 

[Sas]

Lovely pictures petunia! Can't watch the video unfortunately but I will when I get home

I got out for three 100min+ dives yesterday, think that is the most time I've gotten underwater in a day! Conditions were great and I dived Point Franklin (which is rare as it is challenging as you have to get the tides right), Blairgowrie Pier and did my 300th dive as a dusk dive at Rye Pier. At Point Franklin there was a lot of surge but it really only started getting bad towards the end.

Here are some pictures I took.

Rare find for me - tassled anglerfish - only seen one other one and I did not have my camera then!

Another uncommon site - velvetfish

Mosaic Leatherjacket silhouette

Verco's nudibranch pair

Cardinalfish looking a bit chubby so perhaps it has eggs in its mouth

Cuttlefish - it looked very much like kelp, hard to spot

My traditional shot each time I do another 100 dives

 

[Jon Shaw]

They are some fantastic shots!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Great shots and wonderful finds Sas. Congrats on 300!:worship:

I love the anglerfish .. great spotting and the velvetfish.. that silhouette is stunning! So glad to see your shots again.... you get amazing stuff from that camera!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

They are some fantastic shots!

Hi Jon :admingreet: nice to see you here! Is Sydney your normal location or a whistle stop?

 

[Jon Shaw]

Hi Jon :admingreet: nice to see you here! Is Sydney your normal location or a whistle stop?

Sydney's home.... well been home for the last 9 years. Based on the tropical island of Manly!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Kewl... are you going to join us for the Invade the Rock in March... great way to meet and dive with SB'ers from around the world. We have at least one couple coming from OS.. was a great time last year! Sensational Sas will be there too

 

[Jon Shaw]

I would love too but I'm in Hawaii on a shoot from the end of Feb to middle of March. I actually am hoping to get up there in the next week or so to see Pete and the guys.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I have been remiss in checking in here. We went to Shellharbour on Friday and dived The Gutter in dead flat seas with the best viz we have got to enjoy in a while!

We found a Crimson Banded Wrasse Male with a significant chunk out of his back. It was healing and he was swimming around like there was nothing wrong. amazing what they can survive.

As usual lots of Old Wives in pairs. here are my favourites from the dive