Robert’s Ramblings

The Rough Bullseye, Pempheris klunzingeri. is endemic to all Australian temperate waters. Usually seen in caves or under ledges around inshore, rocky reefs to depths of around 20 m. The species is also known as Klunzinger’s Bullseye.

This was such a picturesque image I had to capture it on a recent dive on the wreck of the Clan Ranald. At around 20m and in an area of strong tidal currents, ‘The Clan’ is a magnificent dive and well worth the effort to get to. Arguably South Australia’s best historic wreck dive, the S.S Clan Ranald sank in 1909 with the loss of at least 36 lives. The site has been declared an historic shipwreck under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and is fully protected.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/45s at f/3.5 ISO100 Inon D2000 Strobe and Natural Light

Erna’s Basketstar, Astroboa ernae is one of the most amazing starfish you will ever meet. Found almost everywhere in Australian waters from temperate to tropical and down to around 50m.

Basketstars love reefy areas with strong currents so they can hang on while feeding. At rest, a star may be no bigger than a large fist but when out feeding may extend up to a metre across with arms outstretched and feeding tentacles extended.

This guy was a delightful treat to find at the end of a recent dive on the Troubridge Point reefs. Not far around the coast from Edithburgh, Troubridge Point offers a wonderful wild and rugged alternative to the usual cosy jetty dive!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/45s at f/3.5 ISO100 Inon D2000 Strobe and Natural Light

This photo taken last night should have been called “Master of Disguise” or “Guess What”. Peering closely amid the algae and the silt you will see a Short-Head Seahorse, Hippocampus breviceps. This photo is an excellent example of how these little guys make themselves virtually invisible to both predators and photographers.

The Short-Head Seahorse is very common in the waters of southern Australia. They love areas that have good weedy habitat and can generally be found attached to seagrasses, sargassum weed and amongst the growth on jetty pylons. They can also be found in sponge gardens, especially on sponges in deeper water. They often occur in small groups and at night time they can be found congregating high on the weed to avoid predators. They are known to feed on small species such as mysids. They can be found from shallow water to at least 15 metres deep. They breed on a monthly cycle throughout summer and produce about 50 to 100 eggs in a brood. The Short-Head Seahorse grows to a maximum size of approximately 10cm.

Yes, as you guessed it we had a sensational Easter at Edithburgh with some great diving and great photos too, so stay tuned for more.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/45s at f/6.7 ISO100 Inon D2000 Strobe

It’s amazing the things you almost swim past without seeing!

We were at 20m and I spotted a sea cucumber down at 30m which demanded my photographic attention. No sooner had I positioned myself for a photo when an adjacent rock transformed into very put-out cuttlefish wanting to be photographed instead! Notice the orange lump in the bottom left of the picture, that’s all the attention the sea cucumber got!

The Broadclub Cuttlefish, Sepia latimanus is the second largest cuttlefish species after our local Giant Cuttlefish Sepia apama, growing to 50 cm in mantle length. This guy is widely distributed in Northern Australian and Indo-Pacific waters and is the most common cuttlefish species on coral reefs. Please checkout CephBase for more information.

Also notice the sea grass in the background? Sea grass at 30m you ask? It turned out to be Garden Eels and yet another wonderful photo opportunity.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/30s at f/4.8 ISO100 Inon D2000 Strobe

This absolutely stunning nudibranch Chromodoris annae was one of the photographic highlights of our trip last year to Milne Bay, PNG.

This little guy is often found on open rock walls and reef faces where it feeds on aplysilid sponges. This photo was taken on a section of deep exposed reef at about 20m.

A quick look around the Web will show that this is one of the most photgraphed of the tropical nudibranchs. Have a look at SeaSlug.info for more info.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/45s at f/5.6 ISO100 Inon D2000 Strobe

This Lined Dumpling Squid, also know as a Striped Pyjama Squid, Sepioloidea lineolata is all of about 5cm in length and a very cute inhabitant of my favourite dive site, Edithburgh.

There is some confusion of the distribution of this little guy ranging from a wide Southern Australian distribution through to local to Edithburgh only. I will keep an eye on this one and see where the consensus goes.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/180s at f/3.5 ISO200 Natural Light

The Horned Blenny, Parablennius intermedius, is a wonderful little critter which abounds in reef, pylons and other structure all around Australia.

I had a rest day from diving today so a group of us just went snorkelling at Port Noarlunga with the snapshot camera. This cheeky little guy kept us entertained for quite some time as they are real posers!

I will be teaching again over the next couple of weeks so the camera will have to stay dry for a while. Don’t worry though, I have plenty more photos to post.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Jennifer spotted this Blue Swallowtail SeaSlug Chelidonura hirundinina all of about 20mm in length while diving off Luadi in PNG.

Closely related to Nudibranchs, this Opsithobranch lacks the characteristic cephalic tentacles and branchial plume of its close Gastropod relative. It is however every bit as stunning. Have a look at SeaSlug.net for more info.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

The comet is getting dimmer as it moves further and further from the Earth so only a few more photo opportunities to go.

This photo was taken tonight at our local beach at around 10:30pm and it shows the comet near the horizon looking back onto Henley Beach Jetty.

I promise to start posting more aquatic photos again soon.

… Robert 🙂

Well perhaps it is a little farther away than just above the roof, some 140 million kms or so and receding.

I took this photo from my roof top in suburban Adelaide so it really does not do the comet justice.

For really great photos have a look at NightSky Hunter (Mc Naught Gallery)

also try Astronomical Society of South Australia if you want to learn more about this awesome cosmic visitor.

…Robert 🙂