Dive #1 The Blocks: Some time ago, Tony, our skipper, said this site should be renamed "Bull Ray Dive". That day we saw four Smooth (Bull) Rays, one of which was at least four metres long! Ever since then, we have seen a Smooth Ray on each and every dive to this dive site. Last week, one of those Smooth Rays deviated from its course to come right over to us, ending up not metres, but mere centimetres away! Seeing such a scene belies belief. It fills one with both reverence and incredulity. It tests our senses as much as our belief in them. Seeing such a majestic creature fills one with both awe and excitement. An interaction with one is an extraordinary and unlikely experience. At the same time, this scene shows how hopelessly limited is an anthropocentric view of the world. Just as we were curious to see this ray, so that ray was curious to see us. Its friendly disposition made that dive an unforgettable experience.
Later on we came across a Swimming Anemone. It was first described in 1833 by two French doctors, J.R.C. Quoy and J.P. Gaimard, both doubling as ship surgeons and naturalists on two scientific expeditions. Nowadays, eminent Australian surgeon, Dr Noni Lewis, is able to examine Swimming Anemones in situ thanks to scuba! Thanks to scuba, developed by Cousteau, Gagnan, and Cousteau's father-in-law, we are all able to enjoy a world almost completely unknown until the technological breakthroughs nearly 80 years ago. Despite this, 95% of the oceans remain unexplored despite 71% of this planet's surface being covered in oceans and the oceans containing 99 percent of all living space on Earth (Hawaii Pacific University Oceanic Institute). It is estimated that between one third and two thirds of the species in our oceans remain to be discovered. This is exemplified by the very recent discovery of a unique species of Sea Dragon, the Ruby Sea Dragon in 2015! One can imagine the reaction of the two French doctors when they first saw a Swimming Anemone!
Swimming Anemones drift in the current, crawl along the bottom or swim with undulating movements of its tentacles. They are described as looking "like a ball of baked beans" but is also called "Soccer Ball", "Wandering Beach Ball", and "Brain Anemone". The "beans" or bubbles that one sees, are vesicles that allow it to float.
Many are unaware that there is a 'swimming' species of anemone. During the day, they have their tentacles pulled in but at night they stalk their prey. The Australian Museum describes them as "agile predators". Yet looking at them, they seem deceptively harmless. In fact, they are carnivorous and actively prey upon invertebrates. At night they will sometimes climb sea grasses or algae to find a better location to intercept prey floating past.
They are native to shallow seas around Australia and New Zealand (another reason to feel patriotic! We can add these to Eastern Blue Devil Fish, and a myriad of other very special creatures which are only found in Australia and New Zealand). And as is the case with many Australian creatures, The wandering sea anemone is venomous and touching the tentacles can cause a painful sting. Accordingly, The "Field Guide to Sea Stingers and Other Venomous and Poisonous Marine ..." warns divers and others to avoid touching the sea anemone and to wear protective clothing!
Dive #2 Old Man's Hat: Soon after commencing this dive, we spied one, then two, and then three "Gloomy" octopuses (as an aside, the plural of octopus is often mistakenly thought to be 'octopi' - it is either 'octopuses' or 'octopodes') . The Common Sydney Octopus, unfairly called "Gloomy", are the biggest octopuses to be found in Sydney. It can change the colour and texture of its skin and shape to imitate seaweed. Being territorial, the ones we saw were sitting in their lair surrounded by rocks and rubble that they had collected to defend their home. They have a sharp beak with which to feed on crabs and molluscs. The Australian Museum disturbingly notes, "Sexual cannibalism has been observed in Octopus tetricus, where the female eats the male after mating". Being a male in certain species (Common Sydney Octopus, Giant Cuttlefish, Red Back spiders, and Weedy Sea Dragons), clearly comes with certain fundamental negatives.
Dave described a meander through the twists and bends of invisible paths through this reef as being like on an underwater bush walk - except that we seem to be flying instead of walking. Gliding left or right with each twist and turn, there is a constantly evolving vista before our gaze. A peek under an overhang reveals Bulls Eyes illuminated artistically by light streaming into that scene from discreet apertures above. Incredibly Ashley is yet to convince Sarah that the pleasure from such scenes is from a magical package of aesthetic luxuries - exceeding anything one could imagine on land. If she did believe him, she would, with haste, want to see them with her own eyes. And then linger in a kaleidoscope of limitless sensations. Such scenes are incredible, such experiences are all consuming.
One diver revealed he is in love with nudis which, at first, disturbed his co-workers. People are likely to misconstrue a declaration of love for "nudis". But once his co-workers had seen pictures of these exquisitely shaped denizens of the deep they quickly understood why. Shelley's pain in not photographing them today, is ultimately our loss today and tomorrow - as we will have no lasting record of examples we saw - other than a permanent conviction of having seen some magical things on today's two dives. There is something extraordinary about temperate waters diving: in the things we see and feel as well as a surreal effect of passing from one world to another and then back - bringing back with us memories we earnestly seek to remember for all time.
