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

Lots of divers here, at least 50 while we were there. Ron and Donna also dived and saw them a few times underwater. Viz down on recent dives, 4-5 metres but warm 22C. Reasonably strong incoming current and a lot of surge. A few squid at the start. Three honey coloured okenias, one saw one BBSH at the two rocks but the other was apparently down low. I looked but... Two small camouflaged PPHs, a friendly crimson-banded wrasse, the other BBSH was in normal spot. Quick trip back, one sea dragon in kelp. A nice dive but surge made it not as good as it could have been. Visibility poor.

Two boats and nine divers. Went early again because of how crowded ramp was last week. Not as busy. Pretty calm and little wind, although it picked up after I was back on the boat. Anchored on top of reef above smaller cave. Went N and around the corner and a bit more N. A very large wobbegong shark in first cave which moved to a smaller overhang. Another one around the corner and others saw one smaller one. Lots of silver sweep around the corner and yellowtail in cave. Kelly found two pipefish on the way back to the anchor. Past the anchor to the S end and back. I found a very small blue devilfish off wall under a large boulder. Could not get a photo as it kept moving. Later came out and went under another boulder. Could see the boat from 23 metres. Visibility very good.

Divers who missed out on yesterday's dive. Went to go N but wind was blowing 12 to 15 knots NNE. Millpond seas at Henry Head, so did sponge garden. Dirty on top, thought a lot about the tiger shark seen here by Rob Cooley yesterday while doing safety stop! Anchored in 12 m and went to sand then S. Only went to almost 20 m. Water heaps colder from yesterday, 18C compared to 22C. Viz was about 10 to 12 metres. No current. Came back past anchor shallower to look for sea dragons but saw none. Did see a small fiddler-ray on the sandy patch. Back to anchor, hung around here for a while after other group descended, then up. A few interesting nudibranchs, no spiders though. A nice dive. Visibility good.

Club boat dive, three boats, 13 divers. Was supposed to be M & K Reef but only one boat went there as weather not the greatest, rain threatening but none till after back at the ramp. Anchored shallower again, very dirty till 18 m then much better, over 10 m. Dark though. About 30 large kingfish, a red PPH, a small yellow boxfish, a tiny moray eel and a few nice nudis. All the usual leatherjackets. Went to almost 20 m then back and hung around the anchor looking for sea dragons, but none seen. Despite the conditions, a nice dive. Visibility good deep but very poor shallow.

Very high tide, went in off W point, care needed as waves coming right over the platform. Easy in the end. Very dirty, especially shallower, but warm 22C. A bit better on the wall. Went a bit more south than I meant and saw two other divers, but never saw before or after the dive, so no idea which way they were going. Could not find the BBSHs or the BIA. A small fiddler-ray and a small shovelnose ray on sand down here. Not much else till SHC when one USDP. Then back via outer rocks, no RIF but another USDP and a tiny pipefish before SHR. Lots of kelp has grown in the three weeks since I last dived BI. Nothing special seen apart from a couple of octopus. Not the greatest dive, hence only 61 minutes. Visibility poor. 

Club boat dive. Relatively calm seas, blue water, 20C, about 15 metre viz but overcast so hard to judge. Anchored on sand near S end of Split. A donut nembrotha as we went into Split. Out N end and N, a bit of current from S. No purple ascidians or donuts, although second group saw two more on outer rocks. Back to S into current. Under the gap and back to anchor area then to Cave. Some kingfish here, lots of bastard trumpters outside cave and some blue morwong. Back to anchor, more trumpeters and red and blue morwong in normal spot. Back to anchor and then on top of reef to under deco weight. A very good dive. Visibility very good.

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