Goat Island Channel Macro

06/09/2016 (598)

A dive in a very shallow water, I should rather call it scuba-assisted snorkeling. The maximum depth was only about 3.5 m. Such a depth is very comfortable, there is no need to watch the bottom time, but the surface swell is often an issue, especially for photography or filming. I took a macro lens with me … first time after a year or so. I spent almost all my time (57 min.) on the south-eastern side of Goat Island on the bottom close to the shore, where the rocks meet the coarse sand of the channel. The visibility was up to ten metres, much better than three weeks ago.

Empty Cook’s turban shell partly buried in coarse sand of the channel between the land and Goat Island.

Snapper hovering above the flat sandy bottom in the channel between the land and Goat Island.

Jewel anemones (Corynactis haddoni) on the rocks of south-eastern side of Goat Island.

Solanderia hydroid trees on a vertical wall.

Australasian snapper Pagrus auratus glowing blue in the darkness.

I have no idea what this is. I would say it’s some sort of algae, but that colour is too wild … and blue.