Dive Number: 65 17/07/2010 09.35 Edithburgh Pool to Jetty

Wind: 10-15 knot NE’s

Tide: 2.5hr after 1.91 high tide at Port Giles

Conditions: A very ordinary day, raining and overcast and the sea wasn’t exactly calm with slightly onshore winds.

Bottom Type: Rocky reef with some ledges, until reaching jetty. Then sandy bottom scattered with old wooden jetty pylons covered in sponges. Pylons themselves were also heavily covered in ascidians, sponge and marine life.

Visibilty: 3-4m Visibility was really bad in the shallows until i got in deeper water around the jetty.

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 67 minutes

Max Depth: 7.6m

Air usage: 105bar/1500psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: This was my last dive on the Yorke, since i had to drop back the tank to the dive shop who were holding a class at 11am. I decided to enter at the Edithburgh Tidal pool and work my way up to the Jetty in a last ditch attempt to find a Leafy Seadragon. Vis was aweful and an didn’t see a lot around the ledges. I pretty much v-lined it straight the jetty.

Camera Details: Canon 17-40mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: I entered at the Tidal Pool and it was pretty rough entry with waves lapping up against the concrete walls. I got out into some deeper water and dropped into about 5m and followed a reef along. there was very little around and i didn’t take a photo before reaching the jetty. Along the edge of the jetty, it gets to its deepest (7-8m)and there were a lot of spider crabs along this deeper section. and clinging to the outer edge of the pylons.

I headed out to the back of the jetty, were the most fish are. Mainly Moonlighters, sweep and zebrafish.

Some general shots of the pylons and growth.

A clutser of fanworms:

A dusky morwong:

This boxfish didn’t seem to mind being photographed.

A dance with a crab before exiting:

Dive Number: 64 16/07/2010 20.20 Edithburgh Jetty

Wind: 10 knot NE’s

Tide: 1.5hr after 2.09 high tide at Port Giles

Conditions: The wind had eased a bit and conditions were pretty good.

Bottom Type: Sandy bottom scattered with old wooden jetty pylons covered in sponges. Pylons themselves were also heavily covered in ascidians, sponge and marine life.

Visibilty: OK

Water Temp: 13c

Bottom Time: 69 minutes

Max Depth: 4.9m

Air usage: 70bar/1000psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: Edithburgh night dive take two. The Cats played Adeliade so i thought i get back for the second half to see the cats thump the crows after photographying Pyjama Squid. Unfortunately niether happened. I’m am though, after this dive, officially known as Underwaterman, after being named by some young kids on the jetty who couldn’t leave until they saw me get out of the water, after watching my torchlight and strobe flash in the darkness.

Camera Details: Canon 17-40mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: Again i searched for Pyjama squid with no success. I decided to check out the Seahorse area, and amazed to find at least six all clinging to the same piece of weed. I managed to get 4 in the shot.

These Sponge crabs were a constant source of amusement..possibly the least aggressive crab species i’ve come across…they just try to waddle way. This one nearly walked over a dumpling squid hinding in the sand.

A bit of pylon growth:

This cobbler was in the shallows before i got out;

Dive Number: 63 16/07/2010 16.00 Edithburgh Jetty

Wind: 10-15 knot NE’s

Tide: 2.5hr beforee 2.09 high tide at Port Giles

Conditions: The wind had swung around to NE which blew up the bay a bit, but it was still very diveable. It was raining most of the day a glum overcast conditions.

Bottom Type: Sandy bottom scattered with old wooden jetty pylons covered in sponges. Pylons themselves were also heavily covered in ascidians, sponge and marine life.

Visibilty: 6m

Water Temp: 13c

Bottom Time: 73 minutes

Max Depth: 5.2m

Air usage: 70bar/1000psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: Things move slowly in Edithburgh. I needed a tank fill and thank god there is at least one in Edithburgh..the the only one on the Yorke…and they give nice deep fills too. But you have to wait for them. So in the meantime we drove to check out the massive wind farm they have near by. By 4pm, it was fairly dark so i still didn’t get a nice brightly lit look at edithburgh, but it was a nice dive still.

Camera Details: Canon 17-40mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: This dive was all about the pylons. Here’s some of the colours of the jetty.

Spider crabs everywhere!

Theres not a lot of fishlife around, but at the end of the pier you get a few schools. Here’s a Moonlighter:

A Wavy Grubfish..a species we dont get in victoria as far as i know.

A Nudibranch – Ceratasoma Brevicardum – in a bunch of ascidians.

Dive Number: 61 15/07/2010 20.24 Edithburgh Jetty

Wind: 10 knot NW’s

Tide: 2.5hr after 2.26 high tide at Port Giles

Conditions: A dark and stormy night…no just kiddding. The skies were clear and little breeze. A small crescent moon. Great conditions for a night dive.

Bottom Type: Sandy bottom scattered with old wooden jetty pylons covered in sponges. Pylongs themselves were also heavily covered in ascidians, sponge and marine life.

Visibilty: Water nice and clean.. Vis was the length of my torch beam.

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 63 minutes

Max Depth: 4.3m

Air usage: 70bar/1000psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: This was my first ever night dive on scuba. I’d been for night snorkels before, but this was something new. I wasn’t totally prepared with a focus light, but managed to grab a couple of small LED torches off ebay before i’d left and whacked them in a small film UW housing. It worked ok as a light, but not the best as a focus light. I was excited about the possibilty of seeing pyjama squid .

Camera Details: Canon 100mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: On arriving at the pier, the fisherman were telling me that the Blood worms were out and its something that only happens a few times a year. They reckon they have no chance of catching any fish because the fish go nuts for the blood worms. I didn’t know if this was a good or bad thing for me, but i was after macro stuff anyway, so i wouldn’t be able to snap any fish if there were plenty around. Turns out i didn’t see one fish on the dive. But also didn’t see a pyjama squid either..a couple of Bobtails, but that was it. Even the blood worms were too big for my 100mm macro lens..but here’s one burying into the sand.

While searching the sand for exposed pyjama squid eyes, the occassional anemone took my fancy as a practice for the squids.

The many eyes of a scallop:

I do tell a lie..i did see some fish…pygmy leatherjackets..abou the size of a 50cent piece. It really didn’t want to be seen.

These Tasmanian Clingfish were also very shy. I generally felt like an invader on this night dive. Nothing came up for a hug.

I’m not sure what this is…maybe some type of sea squirt???

A small Cuttlefish was close to shore on exit. He was still too big for anything but an eyeshot with my macro lens.

Overall i was little dissappointed not to find Pyjama squid, but i still had a second night dive planned, so all was not lost.

Dive Number: 60 15/07/2010 17.15 Edithburgh Jetty

Wind: 10 knot NW’s

Tide: 1hr before 2.26 high tide at Port Giles

Conditions: Drizzling rain on dusk. A bit of surface chop and slight current but nothing major.

Bottom Type: Sandy bottom scattered with old wooden jetty pylons covered in sponges. Pylongs themselves were also heavily covered in ascidians, sponge and marine life.

Visibilty: 6-8m

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 29 minutes

Max Depth: 5.1m

Air usage: 55bar/800psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: I’d heard a lot about how good Edithburgh is as a night dive, so arriving at dusk, i thought i’d do a quick dive just to familiarise myself with the area and conditions before attempting it in total darkness.

Camera Details: Sigma 17-70mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: The number of different crab species was again impressive at Edithburgh. Here’s a few of the local crab species:

I read there was a small patch of weed that seahorse’s loved to hang out on. I found it without any problems but the weed swaying in the movement of the water made it difficult to get sharp photos, especially in low light.

A seacumber..tasty.

A small sand goby on a shell.

I got my first taste of the great ascidian growth on the pylons.

The night time residents were starting to appear. This cardinal fish looked a bit dazed still.

A suprise visitor to my torch light was a Ringed Toadfish that came over to check me out.

A nice warm up dive into the wonders of Edithburgh Jetty, and staying directly accross the road was going to make for easy access for the night dive.