We're still at the beginning of spring but the temperature's already up in
the mid-thirties (Celsius) and - this morning at least - there's not a cloud
in the sky.

On this morning's dive at Shelly Beach we hit an outgoing tide with
visibility reduced to 6 -8 metres at best.  Needless to say this was the day
I elected to take my camera back into the water, the first time since the
"Great Flood of '99" when I discovered that a Nikonos V holds in excess of
$680 worth of sea water. <BWG>

As well as a small, dusky coloured lionfish we spotted a couple of male
weedy seadragons carrying eggs, five Port Jackson sharks - a couple of which
allowed me to lie alongside of them while I took pictures - and two
wobbegongs.

Today there wasn't much else worth commenting on apart from a large school
of Ladder-Finned Pomfrets, that have been absent from the reef for the past
few weeks and a single medium sized catfish.

But at least we got wet and I did notice that walking back up the hill after
the dive was a hell of a lot easier breathing 39% O2. :-)

Strike