The Land-Downunder celebrated OZtralia Day last weekend.  As with most 3
day weekends WAUPS had something on the boil.  This time the regular core
dive group were based in Dunsborough, a 3hr drive south-west of Perth.
During that period they enjoyed dives on the Swan wreck, Wrights Bank, 4-
Mile Reef and under Busselton Jetty.  the later is a favourite spot for
night dives.

Here is a link to some info on Busselton Jetty.  3rd dot point down under
Discover more about the Capes marine environment there are two articles
from the Landscope magazine that may interest some of you.  Beneath
Busselton Jetty ... and Last In, Best Dressed - which were written by
WAUPS members Ann Storrie, a freelance photographer ... and Peter
Morrison, a marine biologist.
http://www.naturebase.net/national_parks/marine/capes/

Unfortunately the first pic of Ann's does not look as good as it appeared
in the Landscope magazine but the rest of the pics, especially of the
growth around the pylons, will give you an idea of how unique this spot
is.  The newly opened underwater observatory has proved so popular there
is now a 3 month waiting list to get in to the complex for locals.

Anyway, while the group was down there they heard about a shark attack a
couple of towns away. Even up here we have had an unusual number of shark
sightings in the last month or so.  A school of hammerheads, 19 in all,
were spotted off Waterman two weeks ago.  CALM and Fisheries Dept boats
shooed them out in to deeper waters.  A lone white pointer shark has been
spotted qite a few times off Mindaries.  A few bull sharks have been seen
in the Swan River.
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8549602%255E421,00.html

My friend Peter, who runs Bunbury Dive, sent the following email bout the
lucky survivor, a Kiwi.
Viv

Well, the good news is that club member Allan Oppert is doing fine despite
being almost swallowed whole by a big shark on the weekend.  He says he
was at 20m on a 37m deep dive site and he saw it coming for him from
below, open it's jaws and then it swallowed both his bio-fins, his
speargun and started thrashing him around.  Then it spat him out and he
ascended. His mates cut the anchor rope and raced over, grabbed him and
hauled him out.  As he was being lifted from the water the shark came from
under the boat and passed by.  He has no doubts his mates pulled him from
the jaws of death. His fins are unmarked. Isn't that amazing?