Free dive trip Sunday 23rd of September.

Six of us piled into Mikes family car and hit the track to the coast for what turned out to be a great day, as usual!

Myself and Danny were more so getting some pics as the younger ones got into collecting, Scott caught his first fish this day, good on you mate, you will be getting them for us soon!

The vis was from 3 to 8 meters and maybe 10 meters in spots at the high tide, so it wasn’t fantastic but with not great vis,this brings on varied actions that life forms would not normally do when there are clearer waters,hence,lots if tube worms to be seen.

They get less shadows over them and remain open, plus with dirty waters comes tons of phytoplankton, their favourite dinner.

The water temps were comfortable and the ocean was dead smooth, all day.

This was the days sunrise.



The very smooth waters we had to enjoy.



The water was clear enough, this is our pres under water into some serious collecting.



A friendly pelican to welcome us.



Just some general pics from the days free diving.

Some very pretty ascidians,well hidden normally.


Always a few caulerpa varietties around here.




This poor banded shrimp (stenopus hispidus) ready for a shed as it is nearly covered with alage.



A blennies face from its hiding hole.

Always many dog sharks at this site, nice eating as quality flake these ones.


Not a happy eel as it gets its pic taken.


Bugger,the shell was empty,cayfish shed their shell as if it is a perfectly in tacked cray fish before you, even the eyes and hairs on them are shed and are in tacked.



This one is called a pineapple fish (cleidopus gloriamaris),it’s an Auzy endemic fish, so it is special in a few ways,lol.
The nick name port and starboard fish is due to the lights on either side of its face, the arrow shows the slot they can utilize bioluminescent bacteria with in these slots and illuminate for night and use as headlights or just to attract plankton tom feed on, they are quite bright when in full swing.



Lots of young heteractis anemones around, some bubble tips as well, but I didn’t bother getting any pics of them.







This very young one has bleached; it will recover some algae down the track as it feeds on planktonic life forms to get it past the reason for bleaching.
Unlike the hard skeletal corals,its does not need the algae with its cells to survive.



This red synchiropus dragonet was collected but not kept; it was just for a pic.



Thids big spider shell fish was having a go at a large oyster.



A funny little box crab being set up for a pic or two.
The crab was just two eyes visible in the sand when first spotted.








Dice box (ostracion cubicus),there were hundreds around as usual, these two juvenile pics and one adult pic are just to show the change as they turn to adult.








Some of the lovely acro and soft corals seen on the day.











This was an area of coral rubble near where we were free diving.




Some collected species.
Mike got some top life for his aquarium and shared with others there as well, also Peter toped the list of best catches with Mike as well.

A tiny akindynos.


A cute young local anthia.



One of the many copper bands(chelmon marginalis) seen and only one was wanted.


These are two very nice puffers Mike collected.
A janthinoptera puffer fish as well.


A very pretty coronata puffer fish collected.




This scallop is so cool,Peter found this one and they enjoy having a swim at you to try and get you to move away.





A beautiful creature of the sea,feather sea stars are the oceans flowers.




Jelly fish egg sack, heaps in there ready to hatch.



One of several zebra lion fish seen.


Two examples of the more common long spine sea urchins we see.




A couple of nudibranch pics, including a Spanish dancer.









Two sizable colonies of sponges.





A stone fish in hiding and then in hand.





A small ocy at home with a scolap shell as its nice door,lol.



Many polychaete tube worms around.














The hardest of all tubeworms (cluster) to keep.

All out



After my hand waved over them,most closed.

thanks again guys was good to get out again.
and to clarify the fish was not my first caught, just the first ive caught that stayed caught.

as my skills and fitness improve so will my strike rate hopefully

Excellent....great pics as usual G- thanks mate

I have to say, I didn't see that many of the feather dusters (tube worms)...and some of those colour variations are amazing...very nice

The scallop is one strange critter- the way it moves, eats and fosics around is most unusual.....never seen anything like it....

Great day, with a great bunch of people - thanks all

Great pics as always mate, will need to get some pointers from you on where to look for these...

really cool pictures! I love the tiny box fish and the scallop. Thanks for sharing

Good pictures, looked like a fun dive.
Liquidg has a good eye for spotting things the rest of us just swim past.
Ian