Never forget your camera.
Contributed by Peter
This may also happen to you.
This is my 8th year as a diver. My patch of underwater heaven is in Beautiful
Moreton Bay and surrounding waters, including Curtin Artifical Reef, Flinders
reef (Moreton Bay Marine Park), Hutchinson Shoal, Henderson's Reef, Megs Reef
(Gotham City) and other amazing sites, too many to name. All this just 25 or
so Nautical miles off Brisbane. I also dive Stradebroke Island and the North
Coast when I get the opportunity. I am very fortunate to be a Dive Instructor
and Deckhand on one of Bissie's liveaboards, hanging out at sea at every second
week-end.
My top five dives ever....all without my camera. I can't begin to tell you
how disappointing it is to not have some of these marvellous moments on film
(computer I mean).
Dive no.1. Finders Reef Eastern Side.
You can all read about on Underwater.com - "Whale
of a time" - Myself and first time diver in 8 meters (bottom 18) and
whale swims by right beside us, could have reached out and touched it. Eyes
as big as a saucer, his and ours.
Dive no.2. Hutchinson Shoal in 20 meters (bottom 24).
Saw something in the distance, big, very big, coming straight at me fairly slowly. Vis that day around 15-20 meters. My dive buddy was close by but not close enough. The look on my face would have been interesting when the 4 meter female Tiger came in to view. Looked around and as I had no where to go, watched
as the imposing creature glided by. Could count the stripes. Both
pectorial fins (large) were horitzontal and mouth was closed. My buddy did spot
the Shark and to this day am in awe of the gracefulness and beauty of these
amazing animals (close enough to pat on head).
Dive no.3. Wolf Rock off Double Is Pt North Coast.
Was on way to Bundaberg for Xmas GBR trips. Decided to dive the Rock around
3.30pm. Had never dived it and was told to start at ledge 10mt and make our
way counter wise. It started with NOTHING for first couple of minutes.
Then almost bumped into a monster Grey Nurse Shark, had to be over 3 meters.
Travelled a little further at around 20 meters and discovered diver's paradise.....
WOW !!! There must have been 15 Grey Nurse Sharks travelling back and forward at a very
relaxed pace. The vis this day was at least 20 meters because looking up to the surface
could be seen 6 or so eaglerays plus a huge Bullray with its youngster in
tow, not forgetting the MASSIVE school of Gaint Trevally. A diving photographer's
dream, especially if they love silhouettes....ARRRRGGGG
The dive came to an end so quickly. But hang on we had to ascend through the
GNS. Spiderman would have been proud of us as we clung to the rock shimming
up as to not interfere with the GNS. Painful No Camera.
Dive no.4. Roberts Shoal - Henderson's Reef eastern side Moreton Is.
Had Advance Student doing deep dive around 27mt on the sand, he was doing skills
and I looked up to see a school of 80 or so Yellow Tail Kingfish coming straight
at us at speed. We again had great vis 25+mt / 25degrees. Student was from Victoria
so used to 5mt vis and cold. They balled around us for what had to be 60 secs
or so and very close it was surreal. We had a most amazing deep dive. We were
side by side the whole time and No ca-me-ra.
Dive no.5. Triple J - Site at Hutchinson Shoal Nth Cape Moreton.
Just this weekend gone, 20th of Feb 28 degrees and 35 meters vis everywhere
wow.... Never seen it better. Amazing. This site is truely unforgetable (divers
always want to come back here) Jorgie's Jaggered Jungle sums it up perfectly.
Caves and swim throughs are abundant. We went east, came across a large cave
/ swim through and holy shit this Nurse Shark was a mammoth, close to 3 meters
plus, huge girth of half a meter and large pectoral fins, colour was almost
white, bottom dwelling tail fin. Features were that of Nurse but could it have
been something...(would like feedback on this)
Oh yeah and NO camera.
Please do not fall into the trap as I did with 3 out of 5 of these dives "I'll
leave the camera behind, we'll probably see nothing good". Never again
shall I dive without my camera. I have a new BC and my camera fits into 1 pocket
perfectly. Diving is my passion, now photography is too.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR CAMERA ON BOARD