Diving report - West Side Tuesday 9 June 2009

First up was the Floats and with no surge or current today, everything was hanging in suspended animation.  The little groups of sweetlips hung almost motionless at the top of the bommies as we swam past, completely disinterested in the divers.  A few turtles pecked at the reef before drifting away to the next peak or ascending for a breath and some sun.  Two very cool, if odd looking, barramundi cod played a game of hide and seek with us - they'd peek out, let us get almost close then pop back under their ledge, before reappearing from another exit.  I have to admit that the barras won the game! Manta rays cruised along the surface, feeding and taking no notice of the divers & their bubbles. As we came to the surface, two humpback whales were cruising past not 30m from where we were bobbing!
WATER TEMP: 25C
VISIBILITY: 20+m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: none
DEPTH: 16m

Humpback whales escorted to dive two at Central Station. Manta rays were circling at the cleaning station and a few big mackerel were patrolling just on the edge of vision. A big green turtle was tucked down under a bommie having a snooze while small butterflyfish and cleaner wrasse scrubbed his shell. Eels, shrimps and little crabs were hiding in every hole and outcrop of staghorn coral. We also had pygmy manta rays and "normal" manta rays!! It was a neat dive!
WATER TEMP: 24C
VISIBILITY: 20+m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: none
DEPTH: 16m