DIVE LOG Australasia

The Twin Spot lionfish out foraging under cover of darkness.

opportunity that only lasts for a split second or two. As a result, you increase the probability of getting that very rare shot. What you are actually doing is to make like a boy scout. The lesson here is to be prepared! The dive crew at the resort schedule one night dive a week. After my dive guide, Noomi, discovered that I loved night diving, she arranged more night dives for me. The dive staff use trolleys to wheel your dive gear and camera to the end of the wharf, which is about 80 metres. Every time you dive, they are there to help you. The service is simply wonderful. We swam from the stairs out through a channel and down a small gorge to about ten metres deep. After a few moments, we saw the first cavern filled with Ornate lobsters. There were nine good sized, fully-grown adults actively preparing to leave the safety for a night of foraging on the reef wall. As we swam further west, we discovered a sleeping Green turtle. I always try to minimise my bright light exposure and switch to red safe night-lights and only take a couple of photos. This is another reason for swimming about with preset cameras ready for those chance encounters.

Another of my favourite things that I love about night diving is that everywhere you look, the reef is filled with life. The sheer abundance of life and colour is a great way to reconnect with Mother Nature. Everywhere that I have dived, the Two Spot lionfish has been a rare and highly prized nighttime subject. Thankfully, the reefs around Wakatobi have plenty of them. They are strictly nocturnal and extremely timid by nature. As soon as your torch light shines on them, they head for cover. They stalk the reef with commando like forays. I notice that they move from one defensive protected position to the next, carefully adopting defensive movements. When I see one, I turn my torch down to minimum and at right angles so the light shadow just gives me a chance to keep them in sight. Now, it is time to reset the camera for close up and make a final approach without scaring my quarry. Most of the time, this venture ends up in failure but occasionally you can get lucky. Wakatobi management has negotiated with all of the local villages to fully protect reefs around the resort. The house reef is fully protected and is absolutely a ‘no take’ marine sanctuary. There is nothing better than diving on a reef that is

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DIVE LOG Australasia #408 - October ‘24