Dives #123-125. The Minke Whale dive diaries: day three.

Dive #125
When: 15 July 2007
Location: Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 12.7m
Bottom time: 73 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 23°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Some wonderful up-close-and-personal experiences - including 'drifting' - with huge potato cod. We also saw a gorgeous reef shark swim lazily over our heads.

And some serious current to contend with on our safety stop after we drifted - no, zoomed! - back to the boat.

Here I am, just hangin' with the cod. As you do.






Dive #124
When: 15 July 2007
Location: Pixie Pinnacle, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 21.8m
Bottom time: 61 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 24°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Dive #123
When: 15 July 2007
Location: Pixie Pinnacle, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 28.6m
Bottom time: 60 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 24°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

This beautiful shot of a nudibranch earned Scuba Buachall second place in the Mike Ball Spoilsport on-board photo competition.

Which isn't surprising.

Yep, he came first AND second in the competition. What a great photographer he is! :-)

Dives #118-122. The Minke Whale dive diaries: day two.

Dive #122
When: 14 July 2007
Location: Challenger Bay, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 10.7m
Bottom time: 59 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 21°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Notice the decreasing water temperatures!

Dive #121
When: 14 July 2007
Location: Challenger Bay, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 10.9m
Bottom time: 70 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 23°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

This particular dive reminded me of muck diving in Papua New Guinea.

Dive #120
When: 14 July 2007
Location: Two Towers, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 16.1m
Bottom time: 59 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 23°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

This dive was extra special: while on our safety stop at 5m, a minke whale swam around us for quite some time. She presented her belly to me when she was passing by me (she was about 4m away from me). I found this to be extremely moving; we ascended from the dive absolutely exhilarated!

Dive #119
When: 14 July 2007
Location: Lighthouse Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 25.1m
Bottom time: 52 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 22°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Dive #118
When: 14 July 2007
Location: Lighthouse Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 22.3m
Bottom time: 61 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 24°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Dives #116-117. The Minke Whale dive diaries: day one.

Dive #117
When: 13 July 2007
Location: Steve's Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 19.5m
Bottom time: 48 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 24°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Dive #116
When: 13 July 2007
Location: Blue Lagoon, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Depth: 22.1m
Bottom time: 57 mins
Viz: 10-15m
Water temp: 24°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

This dive was followed by an encounter (on snorkel) with a minke whale: this one! Isn't she beautiful?



This stunning photo earned Scuba Buachall first prize in the Mike Ball Spoilsport on-board photo competition.

Quite rightly so.

The Papua New Guinea dive diaries: never-before-seen photos!

Almost a year ago, Scuba Buachall and I went diving in Papua New Guinea. I posted gorgeous photos that SB had taken (see them here).

Only recently I came across the ones I took!

So here are seven of my best from that trip.

Some beautiful textures...





...some fishy-fish fish...







...and the rarely-sighted SB...



...taking a photo of the nautilus, which most certainly would have preferred to be at home in 200m rather than in 17m shallows.