418 Dive Log Australasia JUNE 2026.pdf

An encounter with a pod of ten dolphin was the highlight of the trip.

diving around Direction Island. Lane Cove was a nice cruisy dive that I hadn’t seen before. Within moments of entering the water the divers loitering on the surface were greeted by about ten bottlenose dolphin, which left for a few minutes before joining us on the bottom for a few curious passes before leaving us to our own devices. One of the dolphin has a curios white patch on the right rear side of her body, and we sighted her on the last trip when she and a couple of dozen friends joined us at Cabbage Patch. This is starting to become a more common experience at Cocos Keeling Islands. During our surface interval we went over to see if the manta cleaning station was living up to its name, and sure enough several mantas were patrolling back and forth Lemonpeel angelfish look like being a different species to their Christmas Island counterparts. The markings around the eye are certainly different.

waiting their turn. The bommie with the cleaner wrasse was some 12m below us, and duck diving after already having had a dive wasn’t an option, but we all had a great look at the commotion before returning to the boat for lunch. Dive days here are relaxed and not run to a tight time schedule. The lunch was laid out and you helped yourself to bread, meats, cheeses and salads to your own taste, and the cuppa soup is always a nice touch, even in these warm climates. The second dive of the day was at Cabbage Patch, but no dolphins this time, our luck had been used up. Cabbage Patch has the largest area of cabbage coral I’ve ever seen. This makes for great photography, both wide angle and macro, with patterns swirling and small fish adding colour

I found that I had rarely photographed red snapper, and wanted a shot or two.

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Dive Log Australasia #418 April ’26

www.divelog.net.au