Dive Number: 66 17/07/2010 17.10 Whyalla – Point Lowly
Wind: ??? Westerly aspect
Tide: 1hr after 1.15 low tide at Whyalla
Conditions: A very ordinary day, raining and overcast and the sea wasn’t exactly calm with slightly onshore winds.
Bottom Type: Rocky Shoreline with flattened rock covered with green algae past the low tide line.
Visibilty: 4-5m
Water Temp: 13c
Bottom Time: 63 minutes
Max Depth: 3.3m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: I didn’t think we’d make it up to Whyalla for a dive after driving up from Edithburgh during the day, but things just fell into place. I needed to get hold of a tank, and called Steve from Whyalla dive adventures. As fate had it he was heading up Pt Lowly Rd as we where heading down it. So we managed to catch him at the turnoff and pick up a tank, all for the bargain price of $15! Some LDS’s charge nearly that for airfills, let alone hiring a tank in a remote area. Champion Steve! Anyway, we made it down to the fenceline right on sunset and got in for a quick dive.
Camera Details: Canon 17-40mm , single SS200 strobe
Dive Report: I was suprised on arriving the number of cars around, some divers, some tourists. Either way it was good to see that this site is attracting attention which can only lead to the further protection of the area. I didn’t muck around and got into the water ASAP. Wow…cuttlefish everywhere! The stories are true. You dont need to dive this site, since you’ll be able to see 10+ cuttlefish in one view as soon as you enter the water. The cuttlefish pay little attention to divers, and you can see them engaging in natural activity.
One of the most fascinating behaviours i observed, were young cuttlefish playing with a cuttlefish bone. One cuttlefish had a bone in its mouth/tenticles/arms and 2 or 3 others were chasing him. If the cuttlefish released it, the natural bouyancy of the bone meant it would rocket to the surface with all the cuttlefish in quick pursuit. One of the cuttlefish would grab the bone from the surface and the chase would be on again. I watched this happen about 2 or 3 times, and it brought up images of seeing the squid taking the bait from the fisherman at Wool Bay. (See dive log 62). I’m thinking that this ‘play’ that the young cuttlefish engage in, prepares them for hunting in adulthood. All with the assistance of the bones of thier predecessors..perhaps even their own parents who came to these shores to breed, give birth to them, and then die off. Its possibly the most fascinating behaviour i’ve seen in the animal world, and is packed full of symbolism if you want to analyse it. Anyway, here’s some pics of the Cuttlefish playing with the cuttlefish bone.
