Dear Dumpling

Port Noarlunga delivers again, well sort of!

I'd just repaired the strobe firing system on my housing and serviced all the port o-rings so I was pretty eager to get back in the water again.

It was late and the air was cold clear and still. Perfect for a night dive.

For those who have dived Port Noarlunga recently you will have discovered the steps down to the water at the end of the jetty are broken and have been boarded off from access. Access now is currently from a ladder mid-way down or as a beach entry. Carrying a large camera I found the ladder entry fine for getting in but I'd recommend coming back out on the beach rather than trying to get back up the ladder again.

Visibility was not fantastic, perhaps 2m at beast making it very easy to get lost even trying to follow the pylon line and a strong current just made navigation harder. The critter activity however was full on making the visibility immaterial. In the weed beds to the south of the jetty there was a huge amount of shellfish mating activity with many new and interesting positions observed. Barnacles perched atop razorfish fished for morsel with their feathery cirri outstretched into the current and anemones in the sand were everywhere.

There were many other critters going about their evening and I did not have to swim very far to really enjoy the dive. The highlight of my dive was this awesomely cute Southern Dumpling Squid, Euprymna tasmanicas.

At just under an hour this was one of the shortest dives I have done for a while but at 12 degrees that self imposed time limit was actually quite welcome and I got a few good shots for the effort.

Yes, Port Noarlunga delivered again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Dear Dumpling' 1/100s f/16 ISO100 100mm+12mmEXT