Just to spit in the eye of fate, I took the camera diving again today at -
Shelly Beach! :-)

It was almost a mini-NEDFest with Julian, Poe - with his Canon camera;
Ralf - who, by way of a change, staggered out of bed early; and four other
guys.  The sea was calm with a low swell and visibility was up in the
25-metre range once clear of the home reef.

While still in the shallows, we found two schools of squid and saw, half
buried in the sand, two large Flatheads.  Swimming out to the seaward point
we turned away from the land and headed out across the sand towards the
outer reefs.  I saw a Weedy Seadragon over the sand and settled down to film
it before anybody else got there.  I looked up and saw Poe busily filming a
second seadragon.  Julian was busy looking at another.  In total there were
well over a dozen adults swimming around over the sand.  The most that I've
ever seen at any one time - and without even having to search among the kelp
beds! :-)

In amongst the kelp growing on the rocks of the second reef, Poe and Julian
discovered a giant cuttlefish perfectly camouflaged  to blend in with the
green-brown of the kelp fronds.  The colour changes that ripple through
their bodies when they're disturbed is truly amazing.  This particular one
was obviously annoyed.  It raised its tentacles in attack mode but not being
large enough to inflict any serious damage - and certain that it would
probably savage Poe or Julian before having a go at me - it made a beautiful
photo subject.  :-)

Back towards the home reef we came across a pair of small juvenile
Longfinned Bannerfish that began darting backwards and forwards in panic
mode as we approached.  There were large numbers of blue damsels and a small
school of beautiful Dart Gobys.  Both are obviously very territorial as we
tend to see them in the same places on every dive.

And then we hit the largest school of Yellowtail Scad that I've ever seen.
Hundreds of large adults surrounded us completely.  Swimming through them
and looking down from above they resembled a living carpet of fish.  I was
so taken with the sheer numbers that I failed to see the large school of
catfish that Julian found.

Back at the point where small hula fish tend to congregate both Poe and I
saw two Arrow gobys.  Poe managed to get some magnificent shots of these
peculiarly shaped fish.  I didn't!  :-(

But I do have some great pics of weedy Seadragons!  :-)

There was a stack of other fish; a couple of large flatheads that would have
looked magnificent on a dinner plate surrounded by chips and garnished with
parsley; a wobbegong and the usual large eastern Blue Groupers.  All in all
it was an excellent dive!  :-)

Strike