Dive Number: 47 05/06/2010 13.21 St Leonards Pier
Wind: 15 knot NW
Tide: 0.56 low tide at the Heads
Conditions: A cold wintery day. Heavy showers during my drive over from Queenscliffe and they continued on into my dive. The overcast conditions made the water look very clear from the carpark and it wasn’t lying. Visibility was awesome, but i kitted up for macro dive.
Bottom Type: Pier pylons on sand base.
Visibilty: 7-10m
Water Temp: 14c
Bottom Time: 75 minutes
Max Depth: 3.5m
Air usage: 110bar/1500psi
SAC: 13.7 litres/min
Details: Nearly the best vis i’d seen at St Leanards, despite the rain. A couple of young spearos braved the conditions, but i told them it was illegal to spear with 300m of a pier, which they agreed they’d head out further. Whether they did was another story, but at least they know now.
Camera Details: Sigma100mm , single SS200 strobe.
Dive Report: Straight after a descent i spotted a large decorator crab adorned beautifully in orange sponge and weed. It was digging into the sand foraging for food right in the open. A wide angle moment when i have a macro on! I had to make do with some macro head shots, but i just didn’t do the opportunity justice.
There seemed to be a lot of Biscuit Stars around today in all different colours and patterns.
A pygmy leatherjacket peaked its face out from behind the pylon:
I’m not sure i’ve seen this species before…some type of Goby:
These Lizardfish are always around St Leonards.
I decided to put the snoot on and had a go at an anemone, since everything else was a bit skitish at having a snoot in its face.
A Mosiac Leatherjacket was feeding in the open..a sight you dont often see as they are usually trying to blend into the pylons.
Heres a closeup of a larger Mosiac Leatherjacket:
Another more abstract shot taken with the snoot of a fanworm:
