written by Matthias Liffers – Perth Scuba PADI Dive Master

The forecast was looking pretty grim as I got my gear together for the dive. Thankfully, when we got to North Coogee Marina, the worst of the weather was just a few drops on the windscreen. The water was mostly flat and was only a little choppy due to a slight breeze.

We buddied up, kitted up, did our checks and the seven of us walked into the water to follow the artificial rock wall. We spotted a few different fish, including crested morwongs, Woodward’s pomfrets and even a little blennie sticking its head out of its hidey hole. Many of the rocks had small pink sea cucumbers clustered at the top, and there was even a single seahorse with its tail wrapped around a sponge.

Towards the very end of the dive, I took a photo of what I took to be an uncharacteristically diurnal crustacean. On closer inspection, however, I was disappointed to find it was just a lure leftover from somebody’s fishing expedition.