Dive 51 – St Leonards Pier

By pfuller

Jun

21

Dive Number: 51 20/06/2010 15.28 St Leonards Pier

Wind: 10-15 knot Westerlies

Tide: 30mins after 0.40 low tide at Geelong

Conditions: Another ordinary overcast day, but the westerlies had dropped off, and St Leonards is nice and protected from Westerlies and the seas were calm there.

Bottom Type: Pier Pylons on sand base.

Visibilty: 4m

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 57 minutes

Max Depth: 8.2m

Air usage: 80bar/1200psi

SAC: 13.7 litres/min

Details:

Camera Details: Canon 100mm macro , single SS200 strobe and snoot

Dive Report: I had the snoot and macro lens for this dive, so gave these sand anemones a try. These are difficult to light normally, sinc ethe light bounces off the white sand and blows out the image, so they were the perfect candidate for a snoot.

The snoot also worked well on this ascidian to bring out more of the detail.

This dive was on dusk, and i saw an eye poking out of a old pipe. I haven’t been on many night dives to see octopus, so i was pretty happy to see this guy, even though i did have my macro lens on. I had to make do with lots of eye shots ; )

Dive 50 – Cottage by the Sea

By pfuller

Jun

21

Dive Number: 50 19/06/2010 12.15 Beach 10B

Wind: 15-20 knot NW

Tide: 2 hrs 20mins after 0.44 low tide at the heads

Conditions: A pretty ordinary day…overcast, windy with touches of rain around as well. Swell was up, and the ocean fairly choppy.

Bottom Type: Rocky reef and legdes over sand base.

Visibilty: 3m

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 59 minutes

Max Depth: 8.2m

Air usage: 120bar/1700psi

SAC: 13.7 litres/min

Details: After filling my tank, i decided to check out cottage. It wasn’t looking the best and wasn’t the right tide for it, but i ended up heading in anyway. I headed in mid way along the ledge and planned to check out the westerly side where the tall legdes start to dissapate. However, i ended up just playing aound the ledges since the vis was bad and it was very surgey, so stayed around the protection of the reef.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: I had the wide-angle on for this dive, but vis was nasty. I just tried to get some close up gorgonian shots.

I couldn’t resist trying a self-portrait…reg out! ;)

There seemed to be alot of recent growth of soft corals and sponges…good to see.

I hadn’t noticed this soft coral before.

This smooth ray was resting in one of the only sheltered areas… i took photos while it slept.

A biscuit star hung precariously on some red algea swaying in the current.

Dive 49 – Beach 10B

By pfuller

Jun

21

Dive Number: 49 19/06/2010 10.37 Beach 10B

Wind: 15-20 knot NW

Tide: 20mins after 0.44 low tide at the heads

Conditions: A pretty ordinary day…overcast, windy with touches of rain around as well. Swell was up, and the ocean fairly choppy.

Bottom Type: Sea grass beds on flat rock bed reef.

Visibilty: 3m

Water Temp: 13c

Bottom Time: 34 minutes

Max Depth: 9.0m

Air usage: 80bar/1100psi

SAC: 13.7 litres/min

Details: Conditions weren’t ideal for diving and i didn’t have a full tank, so i (possibly stupidly) decided to check out somewhere new. I headed to the next carpark East of the cottage carpark and decided to see what the reef was like there. (Marked with the yellow sign marking Beach 10B.) This was possibly more stupid due to sighting of a Great White over at Rosebud on Thursday. Anyway, i decided to swim out for 10 minutes and see what i could find. I had to descend early because visibility was atrocious and i couldn’t see what was beneath me. After ten minutes i was in 9 metres of water but still hadn’t come across any decent reef structures. At about 8 metres though, the terrain changed from seagrass beds, to open sand and rubble, and i sensed i wasn’t too far from some legdes. However i decided to stick to my 10 minute plan and started to head back in.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: There were very little fish life on the way out, apart from a school of old wives over the seagrass bed. On my way back in, i came across the same school of fish and decided to sit on the sea grass bed and have them gather around me. Some leatherjackets were very curious about my presence and approached very closely.

A number of leatherjackets decided to join in on the action and a slightly larger leatherjacket came in to check me out. I’ve never seen this type of LJ before… it had a strange protrusion just before the tail. I’m guessing this is a juvenile Six-Spined Leatherjacket, but i’m really not sure.

Here’s shot from behind showing the ‘fin protrusion’:

If anyone know what species this is, and what the protusion is, i’d love to know. Adult Six-Spines dont seem to have this.

Dive 48 – St Leonards Pier

By pfuller

Jun

18

Dive Number: 48 13/06/2010 14.22 St Leonards Pier

Wind: 10 knot SW

Tide: 3 hours before 1.11 high tide at Geelong

Conditions: An overcast day without subshine all day, but no great rain either. Conditions around the waters at end of the peninsula were very still and conditions looks clean from land.

Bottom Type: Pier pylons on sand base.

Visibilty: 7-10m

Water Temp: 13c

Bottom Time: 72 minutes

Max Depth: 3.9m

Air usage: 110bar/1500psi

SAC: 13.7 litres/min

Details: Another day of very good vis, but very dark due to overcast conditions. I decided to put the fisheye on this dive and hoped to come across the decorator crab again and hopefully see some other large subjects. The water is starting to get icy cold, and i descended as soon as possible. My face and hands were really feeling the cold on entry. Something even a drysuit isn’t going to fix!

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: The 5 armed seastar is a pest in port phillip and i saw this one crawling along the sandy bottom almost like it was invading.

A Mosiac Leather Jacket tried to blend into the pylon growth.

The decorator crab wasn’t out in the open feeding like my last dive here, but instead was clinging to the side of the pylon.

An old pylon stump with some growth.

One of the Native stars, the 11-armed starfish:

This Mosiac Leather swore he was camoflaged and that i couldn’t see him.

A cluster of anemones beneath brown Algea.

A cute little baby Globefish.

The Mosiac Leatherjackets were out in force today.

Ascidians on the pylons.

A swimminng anemone:

Dive 47 – St Leonards Pier

By pfuller

Jun

8

Dive Number: 47 05/06/2010 13.21 St Leonards Pier

Wind: 15 knot NW

Tide: 0.56 low tide at the Heads

Conditions: A cold wintery day. Heavy showers during my drive over from Queenscliffe and they continued on into my dive. The overcast conditions made the water look very clear from the carpark and it wasn’t lying. Visibility was awesome, but i kitted up for macro dive.

Bottom Type: Pier pylons on sand base.

Visibilty: 7-10m

Water Temp: 14c

Bottom Time: 75 minutes

Max Depth: 3.5m

Air usage: 110bar/1500psi

SAC: 13.7 litres/min

Details: Nearly the best vis i’d seen at St Leanards, despite the rain. A couple of young spearos braved the conditions, but i told them it was illegal to spear with 300m of a pier, which they agreed they’d head out further. Whether they did was another story, but at least they know now.

Camera Details: Sigma100mm , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: Straight after a descent i spotted a large decorator crab adorned beautifully in orange sponge and weed. It was digging into the sand foraging for food right in the open. A wide angle moment when i have a macro on! I had to make do with some macro head shots, but i just didn’t do the opportunity justice.

There seemed to be a lot of Biscuit Stars around today in all different colours and patterns.

A pygmy leatherjacket peaked its face out from behind the pylon:

I’m not sure i’ve seen this species before…some type of Goby:

These Lizardfish are always around St Leonards.

I decided to put the snoot on and had a go at an anemone, since everything else was a bit skitish at having a snoot in its face.

A Mosiac Leatherjacket was feeding in the open..a sight you dont often see as they are usually trying to blend into the pylons.

Heres a closeup of a larger Mosiac Leatherjacket:

Another more abstract shot taken with the snoot of a fanworm:

Dive 46 – Cottage by the Sea

By pfuller

Jun

8

Dive Number: 46 05/06/2010 10.43 Cottage by the Sea

Wind: 15 knot NW

Tide: 0.56 low tide at the Heads

Conditions: A cold wintery day, with heavily overcast clouds promising rain. It rained during the dive. Visibility was pretty ordinary and a fair bit of surge.

Bottom Type: Rock legdes over sand base

Visibilty: 3-5m

Water Temp: 14c

Bottom Time: 63 minutes

Max Depth: 7.9m

Air usage: 100bar/1400psi

SAC: 11.3 litres/min

Details: It was a cold windy day, but the northerly aspects of the wind made cottage a goer. I decided to give my sigma lens a try due to its versatilty as a macro and wide angle setup, but i always seem to regret the decision. The lens just seems to have horrible colour, soft focus and generally not very inspiring to use. A couple of shots came out ok though.

Camera Details: Sigma17-70mm , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: It seemed to be a fairly quiet day fish-wise. BUt i think i was lacking inspiration with my sigma lens, so maybe wasn’t searching as hard as i could have. Yellow-striped Leatherjackets are always around:

I felt i was really close to this Dusky Morwong, but taking photos at the 70mm range of this lens means your shooting through a lot of water, and when vis is low, you get pretty grubby photos.

I had a bit of ear pain on this dive and i stuck to about the 4m mark for the later half of my dive. Dropping down to 6-7metres was causing pressure on my left ear..i put this down to a hangover from the night before. This cuttlefish was searching around the kelp on the upper reef and came to check me out. I couldn’t follow him as it decends though.

Dive 45 – Lascelles Wharf

By pfuller

Jun

3

Dive Number: 45 29/05/2010 14.20 Lascelles Wharf

Wind: 5 knot NE

Tide: 1hr after 0.31 low tide at Geelong

Conditions: A beautiful still day, clear skies with a couple of fluffy clouds.

Bottom Type: Muddy base with weed covered rock wall, and a couple of peir pylons and walls.

Visibilty: 3m

Water Temp: 15c

Bottom Time: 30 minutes

Max Depth: 10.9m

Air usage: 50bar/800psi

SAC: 14.5 litres/min

Details: The last few days have been near perfect with little wind. The western side of Port Phillip Bay is notoriously mucky, so i thought this was a good opportunity to check out this area. A couple of years ago a Southern right whale was in this general area, and it has a reputation with snapper fisherman, so i expected some pretty deep water, (and possibly some handguns and dead bodies!) Luckyily i saw none of the former, but also little else, mainly due to the crap vis. There were a few orange sponges on the rocks, blubber jellies floating near the surface and sea cucumbers on the mud. Generally not a recommended dive site…but its filled my cursiousity..

Camera Details: Sigma17-70mm , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: I mustn’t have put the lens on properly this morning, and after snapping a couple of photos i got 00 aperature errors. I haven’t taken the camera out of the housing yet, so hopefully thats all the problem is.

Snorkel at Pt Lonsdale

By pfuller

Jun

2

01/06/2010 8.15 Point Lonsdale

Wind: Light Winds

Tide: 0.32 low tide at the Heads

Conditions: First day of winter. Still morning.

Bottom Type: Rockpools

Bottom Time: 90 minutes

Details: The rockpools are back on! Nudi’s everywhere. The weed is still looking very miserable, but i counted at least 10 species this morning, and there was little searching time between finds. Lots of subbies around (sub-10mm nudi’s)

Camera Details: Canon 100mm , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: Some people can find nudibranchs from land by peering into the water. I’ve never been one of those people, but this morning, just before i got into the water i saw a large pink form. I turned out to be a large, strange , colorful blob called a Lamellarian.. (thanks for the ID Trev!) So that made for my first photo:

Then came the nudibranchs – Hermea Sp:

Hermea Sp bungee jumping off the kelp:

Elysia Maori:

Digidentis Perplexa:

Pretty sure this is Trinchesia Viridiana..tiny little suckers.

Another tiny nudi Trinchesia Sp:

I’m not sure if this one is Ancula mapae or Okenia sp:

Around the rock shelves i found this Digidentis Perplexa..a slightly different looking version of the ones usually in the rockpools:

Dive 44: 18M Reef

By pfuller

Jun

1

Dive Number: 44 29/05/2010 14.20 18m Reef

Wind: 15knot SE

Tide: 1hr after 1.69 high tide at Heads

Conditions: Overcast all day with storm clouds looming. Choppy getting out through the heads, and also pretty choppy outside.

Bottom Type: Scattered reef structures. Mostly bommies with some small overhangs, but we didn’t find any large deep ledges.

Visibilty: 5-7m

Water Temp: 16c

Bottom Time: 43 minutes

Max Depth: 16.6m

Air usage: 125bar/1900psi

SAC: 12.5 litres/min

Details: My very first independent boat dive (except open water course – and taka on snorkel) with Dive Victoria. It was blowing NE’s in the morning, so i thought it was a good opportunity to get out of the heads and dive a site i hadn’t heard anything about. The winds swung around to the SE, so the surface was pretty choppy. I wasn’t overly impressed with the site, there were some nice scattering of reef, but very few overhangs, and very little fish life around. We saw a cray, a bull devil, and a nice big horseshoe leatherjacket, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some nice starfish around and a fish i’ve seen before but cant ID at the moment.

Camera Details: Sigma17-70mm , single SS200 strobe.

Dive Report: This was my first deep water dive off a dive off a boat, so i was a little bit (just a touch) apprehensive when i first jumped off the boat into the open ocean. Once i was down though, it was familiar terrain so i felt comfortable, despite the moderate current flowing. I was buddied up with a Kiwi and a bloke from Melbourne; none of which had dived this reef and both fairly new to diving. We explored the reef and came across this fish as soon as we headed into our first gully. I’m not too sure what species this is:

I was expecting to find a lot of growth under ledges, but legdes were few and far between. This ascidian-like thing was growing out in the open.

Again, not as much sponge as i was expecting either, but i decided to snap this starfish sitting next to a patch of yellow sponge that was again out in the open. I think i’ve been hearing too much about Lonsdale Wall. ;)

The thing i found with boat diving is that you get very little bottom time, especially with air slurping buddies. I was a little surpised when my buddies signalled to start ascending, but i realised that with the 5 minute safety stop, that you really have to start your ascent a lot earlier than i’ve been use to. I can see myself going twins in the not too distant future!