Dive Number: 80 11/09/2010 15.14 Stradbroke Island – The Group – Manta Ray Bommie
Wind: ????
Tide: 5hr past 2.30 high tide at Point Lookout
Conditions: Another lovely sunny queensland day with no clouds and a light breeze.
Bottom Type: Large Rock Bommie with scattered smaller bommies then extending out to a vast sand patch.
Visibilty: 15m
Water Temp: 19c
Bottom Time: 59minutes
Max Depth: 11.5m
Air usage: 170bar/2500psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: This was dive number two on the trip out with Manta Lodge. After going to 26metres this was a shallower dive to finish off in about 12m. After some chicken noodle soup and snakes we were back in the water. We’d been informed that at least 3 Manta Rays were in the area and this was the first time this season, so i timed it well. This dive proved to be a fantastic ray dive.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , single SS200 strobe
Dive Report: Diving in large groups again seemed unproductive. There were heaps of cool rays around, but it was hard to get close to any of them with so many divers flapping aorund mid-water. A school of around 80+ Golden rays were an impressive site though. Together with a couple of Manta Rays and a Bull Ray, the site lived up to its name.
