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Fish Reef Dives

I've dived at Fish Reef 3 times:

Dive number	Date	Site	Location	Area	Country	Depth (m)	Bottom time (min)	Total time (min)	Divers	Summary	Equipment
492	25 Apr 1997	Fish Reef	off Port Hacking	Sydney	Australia	28	22	26	Iain Hosking, Martin Zolfel	ANZAC Day dive, and at 6 months between dives I won't make 500 by the year 2000. Today was overcast, and the swell was huge, but the visibility was excellent. The water was clear and blue and as we descended the bubbles of the first pair down could be seen all the way from the bottom to the surface. We swam in a clockwise direction around the reef, past shoals of pomfret under overhangs, impressive gorgonians, sponges (with plenty of nudibranchs), groper, leatherjacket, sergeant baker etc. I was just thinking that a cuttlefish would complete the dive when I turned a corner and saw one. It was about 14 inches long, and I hovered there for ages watching the colours change in waves and spots. Suddenly I saw a huge shadow out of the corner of my eye and jumped (making Martin laugh). It was a huge black stingray, 4 to 5 feet across and at least as long. It sailed past like a battleship, completely indifferent to me. It certainly made the dive worthwhile, even when after unkitting in the boat I had to jump back into the water and lost my breakfast. The seas were huge, especially from the point of view of a head floating at water level. Good food and company rounded off the dive well, and it's still only $30.	First dive following the repair. It could more accurately be described as a damp suit.
502	6 Nov 1999	Fish Reef	off Port Hacking	Sydney	Australia	27	25	30	Iain Hosking, Andrew Kennedy	Dived with Max Western again (cost now $35). Left Faulconbridge 8am; arrived Dolan's Bay 9.20am. Wind from NE & stronger than ideal. Very pronounced swell even at 27m, enough to stir up the sand, and to make it difficult to examine objects close-up. Limited life - nudibranchs, scalyfin, morwong, groper, cup coral and an unidentified fish in a shoal of about 10, 2' long, silver underneath and green on top, with long dorsal & ventral fins towards the back and a lobed tail with black edges. I can't find it in the fish book.	Dry suit, my 82 cu ft tank.
504	12 Mar 2000	Fish Reef	off Port Hacking	Sydney	Australia	26	30	32	Iain Hosking, Martin Zolfel	Woke at 5.30am and left Faulconbridge at 6.15. After a week's rain we expected zero viz but it was OK (plus it was fairly calm). Round the rock looking at fish, nudibranchs and cup coral. Highlight was an octopus - white legs and black head. Finished 11am.	own

Dive number

Date

Site

Location

Area

Country

Wreck

Freshwater

Depth (m)

Bottom time (min)

Total time (min)

Divers

Quality

Summary

Equipment

492

25 Apr 1997

Fish Reef

off Port Hacking

Sydney

Australia

Iain Hosking, Martin Zolfel

ANZAC Day dive, and at 6 months between dives I won't make 500 by the year 2000. Today was overcast, and the swell was huge, but the visibility was excellent. The water was clear and blue and as we descended the bubbles of the first pair down could be seen all the way from the bottom to the surface. We swam in a clockwise direction around the reef, past shoals of pomfret under overhangs, impressive gorgonians, sponges (with plenty of nudibranchs), groper, leatherjacket, sergeant baker etc. I was just thinking that a cuttlefish would complete the dive when I turned a corner and saw one. It was about 14 inches long, and I hovered there for ages watching the colours change in waves and spots. Suddenly I saw a huge shadow out of the corner of my eye and jumped (making Martin laugh). It was a huge black stingray, 4 to 5 feet across and at least as long. It sailed past like a battleship, completely indifferent to me. It certainly made the dive worthwhile, even when after unkitting in the boat I had to jump back into the water and lost my breakfast. The seas were huge, especially from the point of view of a head floating at water level. Good food and company rounded off the dive well, and it's still only $30.

First dive following the repair. It could more accurately be described as a damp suit.

502

6 Nov 1999

Fish Reef

off Port Hacking

Sydney

Australia

Iain Hosking, Andrew Kennedy

Dived with Max Western again (cost now $35). Left Faulconbridge 8am; arrived Dolan's Bay 9.20am. Wind from NE & stronger than ideal. Very pronounced swell even at 27m, enough to stir up the sand, and to make it difficult to examine objects close-up. Limited life - nudibranchs, scalyfin, morwong, groper, cup coral and an unidentified fish in a shoal of about 10, 2' long, silver underneath and green on top, with long dorsal & ventral fins towards the back and a lobed tail with black edges. I can't find it in the fish book.

Dry suit, my 82 cu ft tank.

504

12 Mar 2000

Fish Reef

off Port Hacking

Sydney

Australia

Iain Hosking, Martin Zolfel

Woke at 5.30am and left Faulconbridge at 6.15. After a week's rain we expected zero viz but it was OK (plus it was fairly calm). Round the rock looking at fish, nudibranchs and cup coral. Highlight was an octopus - white legs and black head. Finished 11am.

own