Dive report - West Side Friday 3 July 2009

We started today at Floats in stunningly clear, blue water.  It made everything shine and glow, a total fantasy world.  Except for the strong current, but, hey, you can't have everything!  Double the usual number of sweetlips were hanging out on the peaks of almost all of the ridges, swaying back and forth as the gentle swells rolled through.  Have no idea how they stay in place so effortlessly in the current!  The swim throughs were filled with cool fishies - including one white tip reef shark that was at the exit waiting to surprise the divers!
WATER TEMP: 24C
VISIBILITY: 15m
CURRENT: strong
SURGE: slight to moderate
DEPTH: 16m

We barely made the bottom at Central Station before we were overtaken by a huge 4m manta ray! She was so graceful and relaxed - repeatedly circling us, gliding through the cleaning station, cruising over the tops of our head and through our bubbles. We spent a long time with the manta ray as the experience was so mesmerizing. When we finally tore ourselves away to see more of the site, we found white tip reef sharks, a few turtles just relaxing and so many blue spotted stingrays we lost count. It was one of those dives you come up from just bursting with happy.
WATER TEMP: 23C
VISIBILITY: 15m
CURRENT: slight
SURGE: none
DEPTH: 16m