Category Dive Logs

GREAT muck dive. Typical muck animals, e.g. Shrimp fish, catfish, no frogfish though, huge baitball so big it blocked the sunlight. Lots ot pilings to swim around. Paul doesn’t like muck diving so this maybe the last one we do on this trip.

Paul said this was better than Samarai – he’s wrong. Yellow Electric Swallowtail nudibranch. Barge had bubble coral with transparent shrimp. Lumpy starfish, snot coral (actually a tunicate).

Large bumphead parrot fish. Noted Manta site with Mantas feeding close to surface and then to cleaning station along long stretch of beach. No mantas noted in water but Mantas sighted once all were back on boat. Paul has no idea how/when fish feed.

Only 4 guests on boat with 7 crew. Telita purchased 3 years ago from Bob Halstead by Paul Baker (Kiwi). Clear, light blue tunicates

Followed “dive leader” Paul who does not stay with group but goes back to boat after 20-30min instead of having full dive. Many reef fish. Paul insisting site is usually full of pelagics.

Nudibranchs larger than in Fiji (1995), Epaulette shark, Titan trigger

The famous North Horn on Osprey Reef! A bit rough on the surface and descended down the mooring line only to be surrounded by about 50 white tips and grey reef sharks. Above us, below us, and all around. Came really close just to check us our – truly amazing and humbling experience! A few silver tips and grey whalers also joined in – just to help the heart rate up a bit! Finned left shoulder into current and ‘hugged the wall’. Huge tuna and sharks all the way!!!

Brilliant, brilliant dive!!

Jumped off boat and down to 29m to reef wall and sandy bottom. Finned with reef left shoulder against moderate current. Saw 3 white tips, barracuda, trevalis and huge groupers. Turned round at 100 bar and up to 10m to finish dive on coral.. Sun came out – very beautiful! Coral like lava – really nice. Lots more barracuda, huge shoal of travali – just kept on coming! Finished the dive with 4 beautiful batfish – very friendly! Fantastic Dive!!

The famous Cod Hole! Jumped off boat and descended to sandy bottom at about 15m. Lots of coral bommies teaming with life. Big white tip in the sand and 2 big potato cod. Finned right shoulder to edge of reef wall. Very beautiful coral, clownfish, clown trigger, pipefish, trevalis, 2 big tuna and an abundance of reef fishes. Brilliant Dive!

Codfeed at Cod hole! Current running like a steam train! Dropped off rib and descended just 9m to sandy bottom. All sat in a circle in the sand. Kept really low to avoid being taken away by current! Watched an organised feed. Totally dissaprove of any feeds but felt I should experience a couple before I became to critical! Huge Potato Cod and smaller Cod (with really big teeth) joined in. Quite frenetic! Amazing to watch and I can see why its done. SOF crew did effect it very professionally but, I still wish they didn’t do it. Would have seen all species anyway and probably acting in their ‘normal’ state in their ‘normal’ environment! Interesting dive!