Dive #133. Lovin' the local leafies...

When: 14 February 2009
Location: The Bluff, Victor Harbour, South Australia
Depth: 8.2m
Bottom time: 62 mins
Viz: 4m
Water temp: 21°C
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

Swiss native Fabian booked a guided leafy sea dragon tour with SB.

And who better?

We met 10. Yes, 10 leafies, ranging from juvenile to fully grown.

The conditions were lovely. Warm and sunny, and a gentle sea. But it's the Bluff, so as usual, there was surge. And the viz wasn't great. The sea there always reminds me of Won Ton soup, with stringy bits...

I spotted a juvenile moonlighter who thought I didn't see him, and darted off quite hurriedly, upset that I waved at him.

SB also came across a dozen crayfish hiding under a ledge.

All in all, a lovely, leafy dive!

Dive #132. Mr Ray @ Edithburgh

When: 7 February 2009
Location: Edithburgh Jetty, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Depth: 3.3m
Bottom time: 76 mins
Viz: 5m
Water temp: 25°C (wow!)
Buddy: Scuba Buachall

A lovely and warm return to diving. We love Edithburgh.

And what a special dive.

This was an underwater photography course dive (being taught by SB). As we and the three students (Mark, Bel and Pieter) were about to descend, a beautiful ray - about 1.5 to 2m wide - swam gracefully below us. He joined us again halfway through the dive.

Here's my startled face as he returned and glided behind SB:



And SB captured him beautifully on camera:



Other fish? Yes of course there were.

A particularly stunning nudibranch too.

But Mr Ray's visit was definitely the highlight.