Robert's Ramblings

The MV Seawolf lies in 20 meters of water just off the South Australian coastal town of Port Noarlunga; its resting place for the past 18 years.

I love the ironic twist of fate that this Japanese fishing trawler has become a home for local reef fish, a host of other marine life and an underwater haven for divers to explore.

Last weekend’s conditions were still pretty gloomy following the recent heavy rains and runoff but the flat sea, blue sky and slack tide made for a sensational diving adventure all the same. Thank you Andy and Jess for being my buddies for this one.

The Noarlunga artificial reef system including its two wrecks is a vibrant dive site full of aquatic life and surprises. It’s worth the effort to get out there.

#Wreck #scuba #diving #seawolf #noarlunga #southaustralia #blackandwhite #underwater #oceanscape #ship #sunk #artificialreef

From gentle white sand through to dark sinister waves. It would seem the life of the beach captured in a single image.

What’s missing are the people, the runners, the bathers and the sun lovers. I don’t blame them. It’s cold, its winter, and the wind is blowing a chilly gale.

Perhaps life is a beach but never in a single moment.

#beach #waves #winter #windswept #grange

There’s something not quite right about Whyalla’s amazing new jetty. There’s no one on it!

To be fair it’s pretty new, having been completed in the midst of COVID-19 lock down. Apparently the council is concerned about social distancing but after a dinner evening at Whyalla’s Westland Hotel I am not convinced that social distancing is the issue.

So what’s really going on? There are no ladders, and no safe way to assist anyone who might fall into the water!

Local community members are concerned and on raising the issue have been told by the Whyalla City Council that a safety ladder would encourage bad behaviour like jetty jumping! That’s like saying we wont install airbags in cars because it might encourage reckless driving.

I’ll speculate that someone just forgot and is now red faced making excuses while it remains closed until the safety issues have been resolved one way or another.

#whyalla #jetty #sunset #goldenhour #safety #ladders #southaustralia

Far up into South Australia’s Spencer Gulf, in the rocky shallows of Stony Point near Whyalla, is a very special place where once a year, in the depths of winter, our Giant Cuttlefish congregate to mate and renew.

The ongoing struggle between fishers demanding their right to catch and the divers, the snorkellers and environmentalists, ebbs and flows with the seasons. In recent years the plans for a local desalination plant have been derailed though the ever present spillage risk of the Port Bonython Fuels facility on the Point Lowly peninsula remains.

This place is special because the cuttlefish have chosen a location so shallow and so accessible that even snorkellers (as long as you are not afraid of the cold) can enjoy the mating rituals, the male melee brawls, the shapeshifting subterfuge and their absolute aquatic grace.

This, our first visit back here in nearly fifteen years, shared with a couple of life long friends, was a wonderful chance to renew my fascination and awe of these beautiful and intelligent creatures.

#cuttlefish #sepiaapana #molluscs #critters #wideangle #stonypoint #whyalla #pointlowly #scuba #diving #southaustralia #marinelife #giantcuttlefish #sunburst

Head out onto the seagrass beds on a Port Noarlunga Night dive and there will be crabs everywhere.

At first they will hold their ground, threaten with claws and appear stalwartly menacing.

Get a little closer and they will scurry away to stand their ground again from a safer distance.

The challenge is not one of getting chomped but simply getting close enough for a photo.

#crabs #critters #macro #portnoarlunga #reef #scuba #diving #southaustralia #crustaceans #marinelife

If I had to choose two words for the wavy grubfish they would be ‘inquisitive’ and ‘opportunistic’.

Move a bit of weed to one side and out will come a wavy grubfish to see if you have dislodged some tiny morsel.

Lift a rock to carefully peer underneath and quick as a flash a wavy grubfish will be there to investigate with you.

Anything you do which might drive some tiny critter into unprotected territory is what the opportunist wavy grubfish seems to be waiting for.

Simply rest motionless on the bottom for a minute or two and you will soon find at least one or two coming to check you out.

#WavyGrubfish #Parapercishaackei #critters #macro #seacliff #reef #scuba #diving #southaustralia #fish #marinelife

The ocean calls and calls and calls.

It fills our dreams,
it nurtures our souls,
it pushes busy elsewhere,
it draws the world of nature close.

Where ever we go or choose to live the ocean will never be far away.

… always calling.

#Goldenhour #sunset #ocean #silhouette #seascape #halletcove #southaustralia #aerial #drone #coastal

Sunday’s dive on Seacliff Reef had some of the best visibility I have seen here in our local waters for months. There was almost no need for the sounder as the bottom was perfectly clear 12 meters down beneath the boat.

I wished I’d brought a wide angle setup for this dive as the underwater landscape across the reef was just wonderful with schooling old wives, leatherjackets, dusky morwongs and silver drummer, to name just a few of the usual suspects.

Here atop a sea sponge outcrop, a community of blue throat ascidians (Clavelina australis) with mouths agape relish in the clean cold waters of the incoming tide.

They almost look like they are singing.

#Bluethroatascidians #Clavelinaaustralis #ascidian #critters #macro #seacliff #reef #scuba #diving #southaustralia #sessile #benthic #marinelife

How do you describe the moon rising above the mangrove swamps of Garden Island behind the silhouette of the Torrens Island transmission towers?

A ‘3M’ moment perhaps!

Or perhaps just the three things I captured in the frame.

#Moon #pylon #mangroves #silhouette #evening #moonrise #fullmoon

I recently spotted a marketing slogan for Adelaide that went something like ‘where the sun sets on the sea’. Funny how I never think of it any other way.

I find it oddly disturbing anywhere else to experience an ocean sunrise or worse, a sunset that can't quite make up it’s mine who’s side it’s on.

The evening golden hour and Grange Jetty, with its sun setting on the sea, feels the way it should be.

#Sunset #goldenhour #grange #jetty #grangejetty #silhouette #winter #seascape #ocean #southaustralia #aerial #drone

It might 12 degrees in the water but winter diving in South Australia is worth a little chilly inconvenience.

Today we headed out to the wreck of ‘The South Australian’, a.k.a ‘The Dredge’ and pretty much had the wreck all to ourselves.

Visibility was very good at 10 meters, as it often is in winter, giving a great sense of presence in seeing so much of the wreck at once.

My mission for this dive was to pay attention to the sessile marine life attached all over the decaying structure. My overwhelming experience was colour, colour, colour! So much beautiful marine life to take in that’s not even swimming!

One of the many highlights was this spectacular Western Longspined Sea Urchin on top of the deck on our way back to commence our ascent. It amazing how a little critter like this can completely take you mind of the cold. At least for a few moments!

#seaurchin #thedredge #thesouthaustralian #scuba #diving #sessile #critters #centrostephanustenuispinus

At least once in the meanderings of experimental imaging, a photographer will stand or even lay in the middle of a train line to experience one of the most cliched forms of visual perspective, vanishing tracks.

The more adventurous might even have waited for an oncoming train to provide both context and action. The sensible ones will have used a tripod and a radio controlled shutter release just to be on the safe side.

I’ve visualised this shot for nearly 8 years from when construction of the Onkaparinga Valley Bridge construction commenced. As cliched as it is, I never thought it would ever be realised.

#Viaduct #onkaparinga #river #bridge #trains #tracks #railway #perspective #vanishing #electric #aerial #drone

Tidal creek mangroves cast elongated shadows across the low salty marsh of Garden Island in the last light of the day.

These salty rivulets, now full during one of the highest tides of the season, will in a short time begin draining back out to sea.

#aerial #goldenhour #landscape #mangroves #marshes #nature #pristine #salt-marsh #southaustralia #torrens #torrensisland

It’s cold in the water down down here but there is no shortage of colour on the hull of the Seawolf and every reason to keep on diving through the South Australian winter.

One thing the cold does is to keep our dives quite short. Not long after reaching the sand and beginning the swim around the hull I’m already starting to check my time. Not checking my time in case I’ve been down too long but hoping I’ve been down longer than I think.

The cold aside. Cold water is full of life and the colours on our wrecks and reefs are just amazing.

#ascidians #diving #portnoarlunga #scuba #seascape #Seawolf #shipwreck #sponges #wreck

I wonder the leagues of ocean she’s traversed.
I wonder the storms she’s braved.
I wonder the lives transformed through her employ and the goods she’s delivered.
I wonder the crews she’s kept safe at sea.
I wonder if she still sails in dreams.

#santiago #shipwreck #southaustralia #dolphinsanctuary #Gardenisland #highkey #wreck

There was a big tide this evening and I was eager to see just how much of Garden Island became submerged.

From my limited vantage it was really hard to tell. If I were to offer a guess I’d say two thirds of the swampy landmass was underwater.

Garden Island continues to intrigue, delight and inspire me. So beautiful and so wild a place so close to home is like a secret garden oblivious to its industrial boundary of shipping wharfs, power stations and shipyards.

So inviting was the view of this garden in flood that I’m inspired to paddle in here in a kayak and to experience this close up.

#Gardenisland #mangroves #sunset #goldenhour #landscape #outerharbour #southaustralia

The colours on the sunken hull of the Seawolf off of Port Noarlunga are are just stunning. But at 15-20 meters down without bringing your own light you might be disappointed in the almost monochrome blue green landscape.

In the light of my strobes or a super bright torch you’ll see reds, and purples, and oranges, and yellows. Like a colourful spring garden tended by an aquatic gardener.

#Seawolf #portnoarlunga #wreck #shipwreck #ascidians #sponges #seascape #scuba #diving

Is there such a thing as being lucky? I’ve heard from seasoned boaties that every now and then a sea turtle, normally a tropical creature, finds its way down to the southern coastline of Australia.

I’ve listened to these stories over all my diving years with a grain of salt and a handful of scepticism; content to imagine, maybe, but something I never expected to see.

Today, out on a local Adelaide waters dive site in about 20m of water, Andy and I rounded the stern of the wreck and there he or she was. In my 30 years of diving in South Australia, including hundreds of wreck dives, the last thing I ever expected to see was a hawksbill sea turtle.

Was this really our lucky day, year or decade? or just a happy coincidence of time, effort and persistence?

I feel so privileged to have seen a sea turtle while diving in South Australia – an experience I will never forget.

#hawksbill #turtle #seaturtle #rare #SouthAustralia #scuba #diving #underwater #photography #wreckdive #wreck

Here’s another biscuit star from Sunday’s dive at Rapid Bay.

This little guy was as obvious as a red giant in a dark sky. Its bright orange stood out from the edge of my vision only to become so much more vivid in the white light of my strobe.

Not much colour variation here, just and lots and lots of orange!

#Rapidbay #starfish #seastar #critters #biscuitstar #SouthAustralia #scuba #diving #underwater #photography

The number of and variety of seastars we saw at Rapid Bay on Sunday was just wonderful. The biscuit stars alone were both numerous and incredibly varied in their colours and patterns.

This little biscuit star perched atop an old pylon stump could not have found a better place to get its portrait taken while munching on lunch.

#Rapidbay #starfish #seastar #critters #biscuitstar #SouthAustralia #scuba #diving #underwater #photography

After a week of cold, overcast skies and rain the sun finally came out and made our trip to Rapid Bay Jetty to dive with Jess and Andy all the more delightful.

The visibility was pretty good in that milky non-committal way that we all know and love about Rapid Bay. Here rough weather will leave gypsum particulates suspended for days making the visibility look tantalisingly good from the shore only to discover the real state once in the water.

Still, four meters of visibility is not bad and was plenty good enough to enjoy the dive and all the amazing fish and critters we encountered.

I’d captured a few shots of ‘Shaw’s Cowfish’ before Jess unexpectedly rounded the pylon so, photo bombed or not, I decided to go with this one.

#Rapidbay #jetty #shawscowfish #fish #critters #cowfish #SouthAustralia #scuba #diving #underwater #photography #Aracanaaurita #paintedboxfish

Her life was so short, not even ten years since her timber hull and six proud masts came together in the shipyards of Portland, Oregon, USA.

She never fell victim to tide nor reef nor storm and in 1929 dutifully delivered her last cargo of oregon pine to South Australia.

She had fallen victim to the great depression. The owners had ran out of money and her captain and crew were forced to abandon this once proud 80 meter schooner in the docks of Port Adelaide.

Eventually the US consul repatriated the crew and the Dorothy H. Sterling was towed away to rot in the ship’s graveyard of Garden Island.

#SouthAustralia #shipsgraveyard #gardenisland #DorothyHSterling #shipwreck #aerial #drone

While my dive buddy was busy wrestling her GoPro back from an eleven armed seastar this little guy was swimming around her content it was hiding in plain sight. It was being as cute as it was being ridiculous.

On a typical southern coastline dive you will often come across a pygmy leatherjacket hiding next to a stalk of kelp or algae. For while it will sit there looking nervous but pretty soon it will slowly edge its way around to the other side.

In its quest to remain hidden the pygmy leatherjacket will just keep on circling its stalk of kelp, or some conveniently distracted dive buddy.

#SouthernPygmyLeatherjacket #PygmyLeatherjacket #Leatherjacket #fish #scuba #diving #critters #southaustralia #portnoarlunga #night #underwater #photography

Just off of Grange beach is a big cage protecting the tidal outflow from West Lakes. It’s also the evening’s roost for a gathering of Australian pied cormorants.

I’ve wanted to capture them here in their little sanctuary for quite a while now. Finally the sea and the sunset were on my side.

#Cormorant #piedcormorant #seabirds #birds #waterfowl #shags #Sunset #goldenhour #sea #ocean #grange #aerial #drone #twilight

I love the light over water during civil twilight. That time of day just after the sun dips below the horizon when its still bright outside and the stars are yet make their appearance.

It’s a time when you can put anything between yourself and the horizon and its silhouette will look stunning;

… even an alien seagull.

#Sunset #goldenhour #sea #ocean #grange #dji #mavic #photography #aerial #drone #twilight

Nineteen years ago today I met this amazing Irish woman who turning my life upside down, inside out and helped me to rescue that creative, playful, curious child inside that I thought I’d left behind long ago.

Nighteen years later, here we are celebrating with a day of singing, rollerskating, messing about in boats on a twilight ocean and loving being alive. Thank you Jennifer for your love, your humanity, and for bringing playfulness and being child like back into my life. You are one very special woman!

#Ocean #grange #anniversary #love #friendship #photography #aerial #drone #sunset #goldenhour #sea #boating #twilight

The last time I dived at Port Noarlunga the entry steps down to the water at the end of the jetty were broken and boarded off from access. Last night was a great treat as I got to try out the brand new dual lane super steps. What a treat!

Visibility however was not fantastic, perhaps 2-3m at best making it very easy to get lost. Not many fish either last night but lots of small critter action to make up for both.

One awesome critter we found was this super cute Southern Dumpling Squid, Euprymna tasmanicas. Actually we found quite a few of these in the sand south of the jetty and they always make be grin.

We spent just over 70 minutes which was more than enough in the chilly 13 degrees water. We exited via the short ladder and platform near the start of the jetty and I was once again reminded why climbing ladders and carry camera gear while half frozen never makes for classy end to a dive.

Despite the cold it’s nice being back in the water again.

#Ocean #portnoarlunga #jetty #southaustralia #squid #macro #scuba #diving #underwater #photography #underwaterphotography #SouthernDumplingSquid #Euprymnatasmanicas #critters #animals

Port Noarlunga’ Jetty is one of Adelaide’s most popular close at hand shore dive sites. I’ve been here so many times on so many dives and seen so many amazing things but never this!!!

All being well I’ll soon be underwater here again too. Hopefully under a cold clear starlit night sky and calms seas, … or not.

#Ocean #whitewater #surf #portnoarlunga #jetty #aerial #drone #blackandwhite #b&w #monochrome #southaustralia

’ve experienced this washing machine from both above and below many times. The only advice I can offer is that if you are going to dive in this, go for the top-loader over front-loader every time.

#Ocean #whitewater #surf #portnoarlunga #abstract

Who’s perspective is correct I wonder? To me I am underwater. I am in that strange place most look down on from an airy world. Would the whale perceive itself as overair?

The more I think about more I am sure the whale cares not while it’s in the water the same as we never think about being in the air.

#Tonga #humpback #whales #cetaceans #snorkelling #underwater #ocean #photography