Shiprock and Oak Park

Two good dives yesterday first at Shiprock and then after the mystery of the Key was solved a trip down to Oak Park for the second.
Shiprock can normally only be dived for the short period between 25 minutes before and about 30 or so minutes after the peak of high tide (you can also dive at low tide but I would not recommend it). At other times, the water is subjected to very strong tidal currents and very poor visibility. Located at the junction of Burraneer Bay and Port Hacking on Sydney's southern outskirts, the name comes, not surprisingly, from a large rock on the shore's edge which, when viewed from the water, resembles a ship.

Shiprock ia an aquatic reserve and there are always interesting things to see here.

A Stripey  (Microcanthus strigatus) hiding in the rock wall

A pair of pygmy cuttlefish

A  stripped dumpling squid

The flora at Shiprock is very colourful

Inside the bubble cave, the water isn't green it is just the effect of the white balance

Molly at Oak Park wanted photographs underwater

Molly with the friendly blue groper

A nudibranch

He accompanied us for most of the dive

Molly with an inquisitive Comb Wrasse

Molly on the surface after the dive

After the dive at Shiprock my car key had completely vanished. Everyone helped me search and after a few frantic minutes it turned up in the lunch bag. Logic told us it had to be near but despite frantic searching it eluded us for several worrying minutes. Gavin and Brett had their keys in my car.

When we arrived at Oak Park we had a nice lunch on a magnificent Sydney August afternoon before going on our second dive. Molly was my buddy and she wanted some underwater photographs  and I am always looking for a subject so we got along well.
Visibility was slightly worse at Oak Park with maximum of 5M. There is always interesting things here and the Blue Gropers were very excited to see the divers in the water. They followed us around like over stimulated Labrador puppies.
The exit was exciting in some nice surf but everyone got out without event and was richer for the experience.

Two great dives again in Sydney. Here is a slideshow of all of the days photographs.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.