In this log I use some acronyms to make it easier for me to remember where I went and what I saw:

(Mostly at Bare Island unless otherwise stated - see website pages for locations) 

SHR - Sea horse rock

OHR - Opera House rocks

STR - Sea tulip rocks

SHC - Sea horse corner

BR - Block rock (also Big Rock at Inscription Point)

RIFR - Red indianfish reef

IR1 -Isolated Reef 1

LR - Long rock

AR - Anglerfish rock

N, S, E, W, NE, NW etc - compass headings

LBR - Little big rock at Inscription Point

ER - Exit Rock at Inscription Point

BIA - Bare Island Anglerfish (red fingered anglerfish)

PPH - Pygmy pipehorse

BBSH - Big belly sea horse

RIF - Red indianfish

USDP - Upsidedown pipefish

Shithouse - less than 2 m

Very Poor - 2 to 4 m

Poor - 4 to 6 m

Fair - 7 to 10 m

Good - 10 to 15 m

Very Good - 15 to 24 m

Excellent - 25 to 30 m

Very Excellent - 30 m+

Just after low tide, very shallow, only 3.4 metres at the end. Viz only 3-4 metres at most. Bottom sand with weed everywhere. Water 18C mostly but 17C last 10 mins. Camera flash mucked up, either would not fire or was full power. Went in from beach on right side, walked out about 50 metres in water. Went to end along southern side, then back to the middle section on northern side. Around the platform and then back on northern side to shallows. Saw three sea dragons, all small and dark coloured. Lots of colourful cowfish, two small stingrays, quite a few large octopus, some larger fish at the end, including small leatherjackets. On the way back saw a goby in a pylon, very cute. Saw one other diver on the way back. Would have been a better dive at high tide with more water, very difficult due to the shallowness of most of the dive. Visibility poor.

Cancelled another boat dive, four in a row and have not taken it out now since 2 March. Quite a strong outgoing tide, only 1.1 metre change though. Viz was 6-7 metres and warm 21C. Could not find the first BBSH, Andrew said it was in the gap but I looked heaps. Second one on way back found. Looks like the other one is gone for good as not seen now for 8 weeks. No anglerfish at all nor PPH. Came back shallow, quite an effort really. No sea dragons despite going west past the exit point. Other people saw one, ATJ five! not the best dive here. Visibility fair.

Last minute club dive, six all up. Went in from past Carol's Plaque. Quite dirty shallow, lots of sand floating, perhaps 3 metres. Deeper after SHC it was 7-8 m. More sand everywhere, some things now covered, including outboard. Seas were over 6 m 10 days ago. The two BBSHs are still there, found the new sea dragon just past here. Went to SHC where the wobbegong is still on top of Block Rock. Two tiny pipefish still near SHC, no BIA. Saw a large blue devilfish here, out in the open. Then went along the wall and across to 15MR. Back to SHC this way. Here we saw Ron and Donna. Found that they had seen an ornate ghost pipefish. We went back and found it (next day they found a robust). Also two larger pipefish, one yellow and one dark red. Then back outside to sea dragon and BBSHs. All my rocks from the pile I have been building to show exit are gone. Collected more and also the scattered ones. Will need to rebuild. Very good dive. Visibility poor.

Too windy and big swell to dive elsewhere. Not a big tide and no current till right at the end of the dive. Water 22C except for last two mins when 21C. Went in behind Shiprock as steps still not fixed. There is a new plaque on concrete to jetski rider who died Xmas Eve 2022. Over the wall and there is a pineapplefish in cave there. Then around normal way. A pipefish on inside of the largest bommie and later I found another. A few octopus, a large sole, a huge wobbegong shark near where the pineapplefish used to be and a ball of small catfish here too. Went a fair way before turning around. No nudibranchs but lots of bream, leatherjackets and seapike. On the slope two convict gobbies and three tiny pipefish. A very nice dive. Visibility poor.

First boat dive for 7 weeks due to weather. Huge seas from east on Good Friday and even the past two days. Dropped dramatically today and only a little slop. However, the long period swells meant the bottom stirred up and lots of sand floating everywhere. Yesterday a strong current was here but when we arrived, none. However, getting it, a reasonable current. Got down and little on bottom. Viz was 3 m but some spots 7 or so. 20C on bottom but 23C on safety stop. Anchored on S end and went N to caves and around the end. One blue devilfish in first cave, lots of seapike in last cave and around the corner heaps of one-spot pullers. On the way back two cuttlefish in overhang. Strong current on safety stop but second group had none. Much better dive than expected. Visibility very poor.

Organised a boat dive as no-one offered to do Bare Island Anzac Day. Two boats and nine divers. Sloppy outside so did here, outgoing tide. A little current on the surface but none on bottom. However, filthy water, less than 2 m at first but got a bit better to 3 m at the most. Surgy as well. Used a lot of air moving anchor at start and due to the surge. Went S for 17 mins and then back to anchor. Debbie went up as she lost a lot of air on surface due to reg problem. Went N a bit and then back to anchor and up. Not a great deal seen except for lots of black reef leatherjackets, Also plenty of stars. Not much else except a free swimming moray eel. Very poor dive. Very poor visibility.

Last minute decision to dive, today is 11th straight day of rain but it came out sunny and I had withdrawal symptoms, only 5 dives in the past month. No-one else there, very light current. Viz was reasonable considering the rain and huge seas over the past four weeks. Drifted slowly out on the sand and then had to come back at 8-9 m as could not clear right ear till 56 minutes. No nudibranchs or large pipefish, one pineapplefish near entry point wall, four tiny saw-tooth pipefish on the ramp up with a few gobies. One large wobbegong shark on the top, one frogfish, lots of silver sweep, bream, leatherjackets, seapike and luderick. A few butterflyfish and a couple of octopus. No thing special about the dive but better than sitting at home. Visibility poor.

Flat seas and no wind. Quite dirty shallow, 2 m or so, but got better to 3-4 m below 14 m and out on IR 7-8 m. Cooler shallow but warm 21C deeper. Went down outside of the reef and then around IR1 and IR2. No current at all, was outgoing tide. Only one BBSH on STR and past here one RIF. Lots of yellowtail and some silver sweep on IR2. One pipefish under SHC and another RIF which had just shed its skin back in the kelp near the first one. A few wobbegong sharks, one large on IR2. Some moray eels, the tiny one is still on OHR. One larger yellow boxfish. Viz better on way back. A very nice dive. Visibility fair deep but poor shallower. 

Club boat dive. Smooth seas and blue water, viz 13-15 m and no current, 20C. Anchored S end of Split, went up to N and out to reef and N again. A bit dark at first as overcast but lightened up later. Lots of yellowtail near anchor and in Split. Only one purple ascidian and no donut nembrothas. Back along outside, the boat fuel tank between large rock and main reef is covered by sand again. Back to anchor and then to where the red morwongs and bastard trumpeters normally are. Lots of them as well as thousands of yellowtail. Back to anchor and up. Could see the boat from start of crossover line and clearly from out away from the deco line. Very good dive. Visibility good.

Club boat dive, two boats and nine divers. Was supposed to be Big Saigon but the forecast was originally 10-12 kts S but changed yesterday to 8 and today was under 4 and W. Swell was okay but every now and then a larger series came though creating a little surge. Viz down on Wednesday, 10-12 metres and some floating sand. Blue still, 20C. Anchored just S of cave, went around. Two donuts nembrothas on flat rock S end and another near gorgonias. Thousands of purple ascidians. A juvenile sea dragon N near G&S anchor. Lots of seapike, silver sweep, bastard trumpeters and red morwong, a six-spined leatherjacket and some yellowtail. Used a bit of air at the end moving anchor (I dived second). A really nice dive. Visibility fair.

A little bit of swell hitting W point so went in at Carol's Plaque and took Shortcut to Deep Wall. Right at high tide so no current, viz was 7-8 m here but a little less on the way back. Found one BBSH on wall, was a bit further NW than normal spot. A medium wobbegong shark then two upsidedown pipefish under ledge further on. Also a large "ice cream" nudibranch near here. back normal way, a spiny gurnard in the sand ramp and one Parramatta nudibranch on the Deep Block. There is a bit of the blue/green algae here. Then to 15MR and then SHC. No pipefish here. Back via Cave, where there is a large wobbegong shark, to OHR. No RIF seen. Found one BBSH on STR, took a while to find it, on top of the lower rock. A good dive. Visibility poor.

Club boat dive. Swell was a lot less than last Wednesday and Saturday. Viz down on Saturday dive here, 7-8 metres and no longer blue, still 20C. Anchored just N of cave on sand, moved back to a large rock, went around. No donuts nembrothas seen on the flat rock S end where we saw on Saturday nor the one near gorgonias. Also could not find the juvenile sea dragon near our anchor but did fond a donut here. Not as many seapike, silver sweep, bastard trumpeters and red morwong either. A nice dive despite above. Visibility poor.

First dive of the trip after lunch. Only saw a few divers underwater. Did the normal route, but not as deep. Very silty shallow due to rain for most of the past 10 days but nice 29C. Only a few nudibranchs, lots of Moorish idols and some butterfly fish. A large moray eel, some shrimp, a few small clams and one large. Saw a sole at start. All the gorgonias and soft corals the same as all other dives here. Only an average dive. Visibility fair. 

Went down the slope to almost 24 metres. Lot more nudibranchs, some quite good ones. Also a few sole, lots of shrimps on things like soft corals and featherstars. Quite a few hariy shrimps, both green and brown. Yudi found a robust ghost pipefish and I found an ornate ghost pipefish. Also an interesting decorator crab, never seen one like it. A small orangutan crab in the shalllows. A great dive, dark towards the end as almost sunset. Visibility good.

A new diver facility built south of the one we used before, no idea why as the older one is still good. Tables, roof, shower and toilet. Walked S again to enter. Came out here too. Went down to 26 m, lots of nudibranchs, two tiny night anglerfish, one red and one cream. Also two ornate ghost pipefish and a few stick shrimp. Some porcelain crabs, starfish shrimp galore, a tiny banded pipefish and a larger cream one. A tiny moray eel, a mantis shrimp which pinged my pointer and much more. Plenty of trevally and other large fish at times. A very good dive. Visibility very good.  

My 5000th dive! We went early and beat the crowds, only a couple on the wreck till we were heading back. Water a degree cooler deep but viz was 25 metres at least. Went around the deeper side of the wreck to bow, then back shallower to stern. Got some nice photos. All the usual fish but still no humpheaded wrasse and only saw one barracuda. A great way to celebrate this milestone. Visibility very good.

Went north into current like previous dives here, viz nowhere as good as this morning, perhaps 12 metres. Quite a few tiny nudibranchs, a tiny cream anglerfish, a tiny yellow pipefish, some shrimp, hermit crabs and two small ribbon eels. A nice dive. Visibility fair.

Went slowly to south-east, a few small ribbon eels, not many nudibranchs. At 32 mins a large gorgonia with a pink shrimp of some sort. However, my camera decided to fog up so no photos of this or the two small pygmy sea horses we saw after this at 32 metres. Back to 16 metres and the artificial reefs. There I found a tiny banded pipefish and then one, perhaps two, larger ones. Back towards exit getting shallower, another ribbon eel and lots of tropical species. A few snapper seen and perhaps some barracuda up high. Good dive. Visibility good.

For more details about these dives and other dives this year, click here.