Better finish off this report before someone gives me a ribbing bout it :-)

2nd - Dive I - Headed south again to the area we did a manta board circuit
over yesterday to explore a bit further there.  As my films only went in
for processing this morning I've looked on the net for some pics of the
critters spotted here just in case you are interested.
The surgeonfish were certainly out in large numbers chomping on the algae.
The convict surgeonfish are the most common in this area.
http://www.aokswiss.ch/beat/alben/ningaloo/ninga01.jpg
Came across a school of spotted sweetlips that we just patrolling around
their patch. Everytime I tried to get close for a group pic they just
flicked their tails & headed under the table corals to hide. Buggers :-(
They would give Mick Jaggar a run for his money in the lippy dept.
http://www.datacomm.ch/renebu/layang/sweetlip.jpg
It was very milky here so I only took about 8 pics saving the roll for the
next dive spot.

Dive II - Eel Bommie.  I never tire of this spot even though it is one of
the most shallowest dive spots I've ever hung out on as there is always
something of interest going on. Sometimes I feel I should just carry down a
deck chair and plonk myself smack bang in the thoroughfare watching every
thing coming & going. Very large schools of trevally schooling around in
this area for some reason with the odd buffalo bream tagging along for
protection among the masses. Now & again a group of juvenile barracudas
would dart past while going around & around the bommie.
3 baldchin groper were out foraging around in the coral rubble. Would not
like to be on the receiving end of their fangs.
Hunted around under all the ledges and small hiding holes where the tassle
mouthed wobbegongs normally hang out - zilch. All out fishing, mating or
chomping on men's wotsits maybe ;-)
http://www.oceanicresearch.org/jpegs/wobbegong.jpeg
All the male ringtailed cardinalfish still have their gobs full of eggs so
guess it will be a while yet before the spawn are released.
http://www.rstours.com/assets/images/cardinal_big.jpeg

Last day of diving for me .. all my leave for 2003 is already pre-booked
for future dive trips here & there so I had to make the most of today while
the rest of the group continues on for another 5 days or so depending on
when they have to return to work.

3rd - Dive I - Thought we would try to get out the north passage for a dive
on the elbow on the seaward side of the main reef wall. Started to head out
there but it became obvious things would be a little too rough for comfort
so the plan was to head for Quinn's Bommie again but this time try to find
the ledge there. Once we dropped the anchor in we looked towards the shore
to see Quinnie pull up and gear up for a dive from the shore. We kept an
eye on his dive flag to see if he was heading out our way but he stayed
further inshore so we never got to see him uw.  Being the first in the
water with the task of checking the anchor had dug in I decided to follow
the ledge north to check out all the nooks & crannies. Lots of honeycomb
gropers here lying about amongst the coral rubble. Found 2 large lionfish
trying to hide from me .. one quite light coloured and the other real dark,
just about coffee coloured. Came across a great spot where the fish just
wanted to hang out enmasse. Large schools of long-finned bannerfish (the
type that many confuse with moorish idols). Batfish of various sizes were
hanging around here with the gold-spotted sweetlips. It was indeed a great
spot and one I hope to get back to on my next trip up that way.

Dive II - Once everyone was back on board we headed back to Point Maud and
anchored about half way in between where we had dived here before to
explore some more. It was like some of the coral had lost some of its
protective mucus. The water was filled with this fine stringy looking glue-
like fine thread floating around. A bummer for taking pics but wot the
heck. Found a cute little firefish hovering way above a coral head in mid
water. Looked very strange but it was ideal for photographing as usually
the lil buggers take off to hide in the coral giving you their best rare-
end profile so I got a few piccies of that I noticed a pretty flatworm on
the seafloor.
http://www.circop.com/images/FlatWorm.jpg
There were literally 100's of monocle bream here in various stages of
development starting from teensie-weenie bubs the size of your little
finger upwards. I have never ever seen them breed so well but I guess it
just depends on your dive spot as this area appears to be a good spawning
spot. Thought of Strike when I came across some very wary triggerfish ..
but these fellas are the cute ones that are never aggressive.  This pic is
the closest to what we get on the Ningaloo Reef ... take away a bit of the
dark markings at the rare it is a pretty close fit tho.
http://www.nmfs.hawaii.edu/fmpi/fmep/reef/mundy/img0068.jpg
And, to welcome in the new year I thought Strike would like this cyber
attack of the tritan triggerfish piccie .. better the pic than the real
thing mate :-)
http://www.oceanrealm.net/sum00/contest/images/carlson.jpg
Viv