DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

Lacy Rhinopias Scorpionfish often hide close to Feather stars when lying in ambush.

over the last twenty thousands years or so. One called MP6 is an all time favorite. As always, these columns start at five or six metres depth and go down to the sea floor at 35 to 40 metres. Ancient overhangs and caverns are home to stunning coral grottoes filled with soft corals, fish and all manner of sea creatures. These dives are tailor made for all divers. Deep reefs for the Deep diving dudes, superb photo opps for the shutter bugs, awesome

stop on top of the coral column. It is such an easy and safe dive. Some of our group went straight down to the abyss to find a Leopard Shark. I explored the coral caverns. A wistful whiskered Wobbegong lay in the deep shadows camouflaged to perfection. A magical reef Octopus was out in the open hunting. We searched eagerly for the Rhinopias that was mentioned on the dive brief. Sure enough, it was indeed sitting in front of a Feather Star at nineteen metres waiting in ambush. Naturally, every diver was sent into a state of happy conniptions at this rare encounter but we still maintained some

pelagics for the videographers and often nudibranchs to delight the sea sluggers.

As always, you head down to the depth and wind youy way up progressively shallowere to the safety

Tambja luteolineata feeding on Ascideans

Golden Boxfish

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DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February 25

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