Thankfully Tropical Cyclone Bianca turned out to be a dud.
We had a couple of squalls and some moderately high winds but very little damage. We are very thankful that she didn't turn into anything nasty!
She did stir things up pretty good and the water is dirty, but hopefully a few days of calm will help settle things down and we can resume diving and enjoying our underwater time again soon.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
NEWS: Cyclone Bianca - Exmouth now on RED ALERT
Exmouth is now on RED ALERT for Cyclone Bianca and everyone has been advised to take shelter immediately.
As I write this the wind is picking up a bit, but it's still relatively OK outside. We are expecting stronger winds, a big storm surge and rain as the afternoon and evening progress.
Updates are available on the BOM site.
As I write this the wind is picking up a bit, but it's still relatively OK outside. We are expecting stronger winds, a big storm surge and rain as the afternoon and evening progress.
Updates are available on the BOM site.
NEWS: Cyclone Bianca - Exmouth on yellow alert
Exmouth is currently on yellow alert thanks to Cyclone Bianca skimming the coast just north of us.
We are not expecting any serious damage or threat from this storm at this stage, though as with all cyclones, that could change and we will be keeping an eye on things!
We will definitely not be diving Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Depending on what happens with Cyclone Bianca over the next 24-48 hours we may be able to head out on Sunday and we will try to keep the blog and our Facebook up-to-date.
You can check the latest weather updates and cyclone track at the BOM site.
We are not expecting any serious damage or threat from this storm at this stage, though as with all cyclones, that could change and we will be keeping an eye on things!
We will definitely not be diving Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Depending on what happens with Cyclone Bianca over the next 24-48 hours we may be able to head out on Sunday and we will try to keep the blog and our Facebook up-to-date.
You can check the latest weather updates and cyclone track at the BOM site.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Exmouth Diving report - Lighthouse Bay Monday 24 January 2011
We finally have a real internet connection back after almost two weeks of it being so slow we could barely check the mail! We'll be getting to some of the backlog of dives soon we hope.
Another beautiful day here on the Ningaloo Reef! We headed to Blizzard Ridge to get the action started and all of the fish came out to see us. Lionfish were scattered along the entire site and there was one group of four snugged up on a ledge while another floated just above them with his fins spread right out. Huge estuary cod floated behind us as we checked out the masses of schooling threadfin pearl perch, snapper and sea pike. Several octopus were out and about putting on a show, colourful nudibranchs displayed their garish colours and juvenile sailfin catfish wriggled just outside their lairs. A friendly olive sea snake adopted our fins and poked around from diver to diver for several minutes before getting bored and wandering off on more interesting business. Great dive!
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 6-8m
CURRENT: mild to moderate on the surface, mild underwater
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
Green turtles were everywhere on Labyrinth from the time we stopped the boat to the time we left! Underwater they were getting cleaned, scratching their shells on bits of reef, swimming along lazily beside us and snoozing as we came in for a close up. A 2m leopard spotted whiptail ray was half buried in the sand right where we dropped in and a fatty wobbegong shark draped over the reef just a few meters further down the reef. Bannerfish, emperor angelfish, 6 banded angelfish, raccoon butterflyfish, pink anemonefish, neon damsels, blue-green chromis and hot pink anthias added color to the deep blue water. Nudibranchs, hermit crabs and white mouth morays were tucked in here and there all over the site. This dive was amazing for the amount of things we saw everywhere we looked!
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
Another beautiful day here on the Ningaloo Reef! We headed to Blizzard Ridge to get the action started and all of the fish came out to see us. Lionfish were scattered along the entire site and there was one group of four snugged up on a ledge while another floated just above them with his fins spread right out. Huge estuary cod floated behind us as we checked out the masses of schooling threadfin pearl perch, snapper and sea pike. Several octopus were out and about putting on a show, colourful nudibranchs displayed their garish colours and juvenile sailfin catfish wriggled just outside their lairs. A friendly olive sea snake adopted our fins and poked around from diver to diver for several minutes before getting bored and wandering off on more interesting business. Great dive!
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 6-8m
CURRENT: mild to moderate on the surface, mild underwater
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
Green turtles were everywhere on Labyrinth from the time we stopped the boat to the time we left! Underwater they were getting cleaned, scratching their shells on bits of reef, swimming along lazily beside us and snoozing as we came in for a close up. A 2m leopard spotted whiptail ray was half buried in the sand right where we dropped in and a fatty wobbegong shark draped over the reef just a few meters further down the reef. Bannerfish, emperor angelfish, 6 banded angelfish, raccoon butterflyfish, pink anemonefish, neon damsels, blue-green chromis and hot pink anthias added color to the deep blue water. Nudibranchs, hermit crabs and white mouth morays were tucked in here and there all over the site. This dive was amazing for the amount of things we saw everywhere we looked!
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Exmouth Diving report - Lighthouse Bay Saturday 22 January 2011
Labyrinth was an excellent first choice for us today! White tip reef sharks were cruising, green turtles were abundant and curious, batfish of all sizes were crowding the cleaning stations, blue spotted rays were making a mess in the sand and various brightly coloured wrasse were darting in to help tidy up. Octopus were being coy and peeking out of their holes and extending a single tentacle before wildly changing colours and zipping their arms in close again. Tuskfish, coral trout, Nor'West Snapper, cardinalfish, trevally, barracuda, mackerel, parrotfish and many spotted sweetlips were out to be seen. When we stopped to take a closer look we found bubble coral shrimps, tiny hermit crabs with bright yellow antennae, multi-hued nudibranchs, little moray eels and gobies staring at us as they defended their territory. Fabulous dive!
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 12m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: none
DEPTH: 14m
Blizzard Ridge was just as active, but the visibility was about half. No matter, there was more than enough to see up close and we didn't even miss the clearer water! Rankin cod and snapper were zooming through small congregations of baitfish, a porcupinefish bobbed along beside us for a few minutes before twirling his fins and motoring off back the way we'd come, longfin bannerfish waved in formation and fusiliers opened their mouths wide so the cleaner wrasse could get in deep for a thorough clean. Every ledge held something cool: nudibranchs, eels, crabs, juvenile fish. Several of the tiger cardinalfish had mouths filled with eggs. Everyone had a very nice dive and came back eager to check the books as we tried to remember everything.
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 6-8m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 12m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: none
DEPTH: 14m
Blizzard Ridge was just as active, but the visibility was about half. No matter, there was more than enough to see up close and we didn't even miss the clearer water! Rankin cod and snapper were zooming through small congregations of baitfish, a porcupinefish bobbed along beside us for a few minutes before twirling his fins and motoring off back the way we'd come, longfin bannerfish waved in formation and fusiliers opened their mouths wide so the cleaner wrasse could get in deep for a thorough clean. Every ledge held something cool: nudibranchs, eels, crabs, juvenile fish. Several of the tiger cardinalfish had mouths filled with eggs. Everyone had a very nice dive and came back eager to check the books as we tried to remember everything.
WATER TEMP: 30C
VISIBILITY: 6-8m
CURRENT: none
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 14m
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Exmouth Diving report - Muiron Islands Wednesday 19 January 2011
What a lovely day to head out to the Muiron Islands! We stopped at Cod Spot for dive one and were treated to some amazing grey reef shark action! One did a tail-stand as cleaner wrasse hurried about their jobs and three other grey reefies patrolled the perimeter. Two of the patrol kept darting in to take pot shots at the various small fish scurrying for cover along the reef. It was very cool! We also had a big bull ray who was so thick through the body that he looked like a small mountain in the middle of the sand. A big cobia checked the divers out making us all wonder where his usual Big Friend was. All of the usual fish - angels, butterflys, trevally, barracuda, wobbegong sharks, baitfish, batfish, snapper, damsels - were abundant and the colors of of the leather corals made a lovely backdrop to the action.
WATER TEMP: 31C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 17m
Nor'East Bommies was next up for a fabulous dive! Crazy amount of fish life! Schooling drummers, trevally, sea pike, and convict surgeons. Lionfish. Big estuary cod & a potato cod. Orange, yellow, red, purple, blue damsels, anthias & other small reef fish. Wobbegong shark under a ledge & sleeping white tip reef sharks out in the sand. Coral trout & rankin cod. Christmas Tree Worms, nudibranchs and sparkly shrimp. Trumpetfish Fantastic!
WATER TEMP: 31C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 10m
We had a lovely trip home and on the way we saw a big & a little minke whale!
WATER TEMP: 31C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 17m
Nor'East Bommies was next up for a fabulous dive! Crazy amount of fish life! Schooling drummers, trevally, sea pike, and convict surgeons. Lionfish. Big estuary cod & a potato cod. Orange, yellow, red, purple, blue damsels, anthias & other small reef fish. Wobbegong shark under a ledge & sleeping white tip reef sharks out in the sand. Coral trout & rankin cod. Christmas Tree Worms, nudibranchs and sparkly shrimp. Trumpetfish Fantastic!
WATER TEMP: 31C
VISIBILITY: 8-10m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 10m
We had a lovely trip home and on the way we saw a big & a little minke whale!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Exmouth Diving report - Muiron Islands Sunday 9 January 2011
Woohooo! We love the Muiron Islands! Cod Spot was our first dive site and we were greeted by a fantastic variety of cods and other fishes: flowery cod, estuary cod, rankin cod & black tipped rock cod, emperor angelfish, 6 banded angelfish, butterflyfish, sea pike, moray eels, many spotted sweetlips, baitfish, parrotfish and Nor'West Snapper. We also found the gray reef sharks again - they are so awesome!!
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 5m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 17m
North East Bommies had a bit lower visibility but again, the marine life put a smile on everyone's face! White tip reef sharks, lionfish, Christmas Tree Worms, barracuda, trevally, convict surgeonfish, unicornfish, nudibranchs, Stars & Stripes Pufferfish, batfish and more! We saw an outstanding amount of stuff tucked in every hole and under every ledge - less visibility helps us really slow down and explore each inch more closely.
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 3-5m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 12m
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 5m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 17m
North East Bommies had a bit lower visibility but again, the marine life put a smile on everyone's face! White tip reef sharks, lionfish, Christmas Tree Worms, barracuda, trevally, convict surgeonfish, unicornfish, nudibranchs, Stars & Stripes Pufferfish, batfish and more! We saw an outstanding amount of stuff tucked in every hole and under every ledge - less visibility helps us really slow down and explore each inch more closely.
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 3-5m
CURRENT: mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 12m
Thursday, January 6, 2011
NEWS: North West Coastal Highway is open again!
Yay! The road is open again to all traffic, but you still need to use caution and respect the road signs. Keep up to date with any changes by clicking over to the Main Roads website!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
NEWS: North West Coastal Highway temporary closures again
The North West Coastal Highway will be CLOSED to ALL TRAFFIC from 6pm tonight (Wednesday 5 January 2011) from Maniliya to the Shark Bay turnoff. At this time they are predicting the road to be closed for the next 48 hours.
Please check the main roads website for more updates before you travel!
Please check the main roads website for more updates before you travel!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Exmouth Diving report -Muiron Islands 4 January 2011
We headed out to the Muiron Islands after a few days of pretty windy weather and tucked in to the east side of the southern island for our trip. We started out at Northeast Bommies and had fabulous fish life, but pretty low visibility. Lionfish, batfish, trevally, octopus, white tip reef sharks, sailfin catfish, moorish idols and bright green mantis shrimps. Our best find was a little guy we don't see very often on our sites at the Muirons - a frogfish! So cute with his big googly eyes and frilly bits.
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 3-5m
CURRENT: very mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 11m
East Side Bommies was up next and was also thick with marine life. Estuary cod, rankin cod, coral trout, juvenile firefish, green turtles, painted crayfish, giant moral eel, bright yellow flutemouth, longfin bannerfish, flatheads and a crown of thorns.
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 4-5m
CURRENT: very mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 10m
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 3-5m
CURRENT: very mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 11m
East Side Bommies was up next and was also thick with marine life. Estuary cod, rankin cod, coral trout, juvenile firefish, green turtles, painted crayfish, giant moral eel, bright yellow flutemouth, longfin bannerfish, flatheads and a crown of thorns.
WATER TEMP: 29C
VISIBILITY: 4-5m
CURRENT: very mild
SURGE: mild
DEPTH: 10m
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