The strong surf that's been whacking the beaches all week - presumably the
tail-end of the cyclone that's devastated parts of The Solomon Islands - had
dropped slightly, so Julian, Janet and myself went for an early dive.  :-)

The vis at the surface was atrocious, but opened up to about 5 - 6-metres
once we'd dropped down a few metres.  We still had the groundswell and
backscatter from the rocks to contend with but it wasn't too uncomfortable -
until you wanted to stop still and observe a critter!  :-)

There were many wobbegongs.  Well camouflaged at the best of times, they're
even more so in poor visibility.  Being mindful of their recent reputation
we kept a careful eye on them as we passed..  :-)

A number of nudibranchs and - although I only saw two! - three small
lionfish; each under a different ledge.  Possibly the highlight was watching
a small cuttlefish in hunting and feeding mode and observing all of the
colour changes as it attempted to blend in with the rocks, sand and weed.

It was shortly after this - on the homeward stretch - that I became
separated from Janet and Julian.  Although the plan called for a quick look
around and then surfacing to regroup, we hadn't allowed for the surf and our
proximity to the rocks. I swam to seaward before surfacing briefly, (after
Janet and Julian had done likewise!) and, because the boat launching ramp
was only 100-metres or so away, quickly descending and allowing the rush of
water to whisk me up on to the concrete.

At this point, I realised the disadvantage of carrying a camera!  Holding
the camera away from the rocks and concrete, I was tumbled and toppled all
over the place.  Janet and Julian managed a far more graceful exit onto the
beach  itself!  :-)

Nevertheless, it was still good to get wet!  :-)

Strike