The building blocks that make up a great day's diving were all there today. In fact, so much so, in respect to the second dive, as to make it a stand out experience in one's diving.
Our first dive was at Wedding Cake. This meant having to run the gauntlet, near the Gap, of a seal beaconing us to dive with him. Previous dives at Wedding Cake, with very large turtle, Eagle rays, etc, kept us on track to go to our agreed dive site. Wedding Cake Island, which, below the surface is an elongated reef, has an almost infinite number of rock overhangs, crevices, and so many nooks and crannies within which one often finds an abundance of aquatic life. Today was no exception. Not only did we find a colourful array of sponges and schools of fish arranged picturesquely within, we were also able to enjoy the sight of One Spot Pullers sheltering within the lee of a light current: some of these fish cascading over rocks above us towards us below - looking up, light made those fish seem self illuminated, with a seemingly glass ceiling above. An octopus looked at us with its tentacled arms crossed in front of it. Other highlights of the dive included seeing two juvenile Moray Eels swimming - which could almost have been mistaken, due to their size, for sea snakes.
Our second dive was at Blue Fish Point. Today, the sun shone over a blue sea as only a spring time radiant light can appear. It was glorious. What was under water was even more so - as we were soon to discover. A large Bull Ray was simply an appetiser of what was to come. Travelling over a varying underwater landscape of boulders, kelp, reef, and sand, we eventually reached our objective where one flash from the silvered body of a Trevally gave away a school of them. Barely a few moments of pleasure from that scene was overwhelmed by an immense school of Yellow Tail. Soon, a part of that school commenced circling us. Hypnotised by this scene, it then became darker as the number of fish above and around us, reduced the amount of light reaching us. Simultaneously two interesting things happened: the mix of colours produced by this scene included a mixture of blues, greens, and yellows, together with a multitude of shades - as one would see in the paint strokes of an impressionistic painting. All the while, those fish streamed around, alongside, below, and above of us. The second strange aspect of this scene was a sound produced by so many of these fish, thousands of fish, around us. Without wanting to be greedy, we wanted more, and pressed on only to find a large school of Pomfrets, which hogged boulders and channels we were circumnavigating. Eventually, those fish were replaced by Mado, which always appear like underwater butterflies. Each school of fish gave us a different and novel experience. Yellowtail wanted us, however, to never forget what we had just gone through, so, once again they descended upon us, and we were able to experience a truly remarkable and unforgettable occasion. It's times like these, that give one a kick in one's step - and a smile on one's face. And it's a constant reminder of how lucky we are to have the type of diving we have here in Sydney. May all those who dived today on Sealife V never forget that extraordinary experience.