DIVING REPORTS:
*Weather is on the improve and recent trips to the wrecks have yielded some interesting sightings.
Large schools of Spanish Mackerel, Yellowtail Kingfish, Bigeye Trevally and Skipjack Tuna have provided plenty of unique photo opportunities.
Several giant grouper have been encountered around the wrecks including the legendary "VW" , so known because of its incredible size and resemblance to a motor car!
During a recent trip visibility was up around the 15 to 20m mark and the ship wrecks and three plane wrecks could be clearly seen from the surface, along with a group of Eagle rays.
Green and Loggerhead turtles, along with Olive sea snakes were also spotted, much to the delight of a group of visiting divers from Europe.
*On our dive charters at the end of June we hosted some divers from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, superb weather greeted us as we left the Elliot River headed for the "Porteur" wreck.
Highlights of the first dive included a lionfish, loggerhead and green turtles, a giant Grouper and a huge bull ray. After our surface interval we moved to the "Lightship One" wreck where again there were turtles in attendance and an array of fish species.
This wreck is close to the plane wrecks of this site and the diver were able to get a look at the "Kingair" plane and get some interesting photos.
The weather on Sunday had improved further and near glassy seas. After a dive at the "Ceratodus" wreck and again seeing a large variety of fish and growth including a lovely, little boxfish we decided to venture 10kms to the reef for the second dive.
It turned out to be a smart move as the vis was good and turtles everywhere, we counted about 20 before even getting into the water! This reef is turtle heaven and has some lovely soft and hard corals, as well as abundant fish life. A large, solitary dolphin was also hanging out there and on the way back we spotted schools of feeding tuna just to cap off a perfect day!
*A trip to the wrecks and plane wrecks as perfect weather again greeted us and the vis was fantastic with water temp of 20 degrees. We had some course divers from Brisbane and NSW. Dives on the Porteur wreck and then Lightship One along with the airplanes offered sightings of Loggerhead turtles, Trevally, Olive seasnakes, nudibranches, pufferfish and lots
more!
*A charter to the "Karma" wreck on 6 July and although a bit choppy on the way there, it was well worth the effort.
Beautiful blue water around the wreck with vis around the 20-25m mark. Great diving conditions and the life was there in abundance. Large Olive sea snakes, dolphins, jellyfish, wobbegongs, large grouper, Maori Wrasse, Trevally, Nudibranchs to name a few. A lovely soft coral garden has developed on the roof of the wheelhouse too.
It was plain to see why this wreck is being compared to the Yongala and by the reactions of the divers upon surfacing, possibly superior. Sunk around seven years ago and now entering it's prime!
Amy and Boris the hammerhead dive the "Karma".
*15 August- On Saturday we had two divers from Sydney and in calm seas headed to the wrecks once again, two dives at the Porteur and planes and they sighted lionfish, lovely nudibranchs, some reef fish and yellowtail kingfish.
*14/15 November- Four divers from the Gold Coast spent the weekend in Bargara and dived both days, on Saturday we headed out in pleasant conditions to the Cochrane Reef. Nicky and Julie came out for a snorkel too.
The first dive was on the Porteur wreck and they encountered a big Bull Ray, some big Yellowtail, a seasnake, big Queensland Grouper
and various other fish, visibility was around 8 metres. For the second dive we decided to head to Four Mile Reef where we were greeted by
some large Loggerhead and Green Turtles and an abundance of colourful reef fish and moral eels. Viz here was around 10m.
On Sunday the viz had improved to around 12-15m and we headed out to Lightship 1 at the Cochrane Reef for the first dive and Hoffmans Rocks for the second dive. Wildlife included more rays,
lionfish, big Turtles, Tuna and heaps of other fish.
