marine science – Beneath The Mirror

The old wife (Enoplosus armatus) is one of my favorite temperate fish species.

Old wives fill the spaces between the old pylons of the Rapid Bay Jetty in South Australia. Even with low visibility, their beautiful schooling patterns are fascinating.

Beautiful nudibranchs such as this one are such a treat for an observant diver.

I headed out with the Adelaide University SCUBA Diving Club to dive the purpose sunk, MV Seawolf. Sitting in about 20 meters off the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula, this wreck is covered in picturesque soft corals, sponges and encrusting coraline algae. Beware of the, sometimes, very strong current though!

Our second dive site was the Aldinga Pinnacles. This site is a hidden gem. Plenty of beautiful nudibranchs, like these four red lace chromodorids (Chromodoris tinctoria). These beautiful invertebrates feed off the colorful sponges that make these temperate reef systems so magical.

The colors found on South Australia’s temperate reefs are breathtaking.

A real treat for this Elasmobranch lover, a Southern Fiddler Ray.

Just after Christmas, I joined the Underwater Sports Diving Center on two dives of the Ex-HMAS Hobart. The 134 meter wreck was sunk in the Encounter Marine Park in November 2002.

This large wreck has become a welcome home for many fish species.

After 15 years underwater, the sponge and coral formations are something to behold.

Tag: marine science

2017 – Diving Adelaide for the first time!

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