Fantastic sunset before our night dive at Point Peron

Wednesday 9 October 2019

Two days of preceding south and easterlies and a forecast for less then 0.25m swell tempted 10 divers to Point Peron on Wednesday night, and to kick the night off we were treated to a fantastic sunset. A bit of onshore wind was whipping up the surface but the swell was minimal and made for great conditions to explore the reefs.

Over the hill and heading out on an initial NW bearing over the sea grass the buddy pairs split in various north and eastward directions on reaching the small boulders. Visibility was very good,outstretching my torchlight, and yet again I found myself in a new area and some amazing tunnel caves heading deep into the reef. The tide was too low to allow a hop over the top and restricted us to snaking through the maze of chambers with Footballer sweep, Globefish and Old Wife along the way. Encounters with a 1m Dusky Morwong, a big King George Whiting and a very portly looking Silver Drummer added to the excitement when dropping into a bomb hole that led under an arch and out through a tunnel to 9.5m depth – I really wish I could find these places again in the day light! Crays were in abundance, side by side under every ledge with several big specimens braving it out in the open.

Having turned back at 30 mins after a spy hop, and hitting the seagrass beds for 25 minutes, the Weedy Seadragons weren’t coming out to play with me this evening though a couple of folks reported a sighting elsewhere along with a huge Bull Ray and an octopus. What I found amazing were the numbers of cute little golf ball sized Shaws boxfish in the shallows and the Halfbeak Garfish and kamikaze Hardyheads making beelines for my torch. I cant remember the last time I did it, but lying on my back in 1.5m before getting out, looking at the moon through the surface above, watching my bubbles vanishing into the sky was simply just so god damn beautiful.

I might just do that again next week – because I can. Give it a go yourself, and remember the first time you ever did it. Mine was in March 1987 in the pool at Deep Sea Divers Den, Cairns. How about you? And with my DC recording increasing sea springtime  temperatures, in the range of 18.8 – 19.2C this evening it was no wonder everyone was buzzing with conversation and hanging around afterwards in the car park. Summer’s definitely on its way!

Martin Crossley – PADI Instructor