409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

Sepias are a delight to encounter. They are confident in their powerful arsenal of weapons for both defense and attack. I know what they are thinking! They know that they can defend themselves and are not afraid of you. In fact, they are thinking about how they will take you down and attack you if you make one wrong move. I had better behave within safe limits. So, I admire these mesmerizing and dangerous molluscs with delight. The Spirit motored up to Lizard Island via the Cod Hole and then out to Osprey Reef.We had a magical drift dive at the North Horn of Osprey Reef. Rish coral gardens covered the sea floor in a dense coral garden. Early in the dive, a school of Bump Head Parrotfish approached us warily. Many ducked down into coral caves to hide One after another. I approached the coral cave to see a dozen of these giants huddled together like sardines peering out of the darkness timidly. Bump Headed parrotfish are a This is possibly a natural hybrid between a Dot and Dash Butterflyfish and a Spot Banded Butterflyfish. (C. punctofasciatus and C. pelewensis.)

The abundance of these princes of the coral jungle is a sure sign that the Great Barrier Reef is in great shape. Thankfully, it is managed relatively well with significant zones of protection. This bodes very well for dive tourism on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a place where you can see big stuff! This is not the case for many other diving places in the world. People were forced to use the ocean as a supermarket, especially during covid when many jobs disappeared. The reefs suffered more than usual as people had to fish to survive. In simple terms, if you want to admire big powerful and spectacular Coral Trout, go to the GBR. These are relatively rare in some overseas dive destinations. The same applies for Parrotfish, Big Cod and Tuna to name a few. We met Cuttles, Sepia longimanus , on five of the seven days of our trip. I refuse to call them Cuttlefish; they are not fish. They do not have bone

Beautiful coloured Glossodaris

Hardwicke’s Six Bar Wrasse,

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DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

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