Further to Busselton jetty underwater observatory, our ,members have continued to enjoy the WA coast one way or another. Below are a couple of incoming reports from our travelling members: –
First Snorkel
“I’ve now done a reasonably pleasant snorkel on Busselton jetty in about 4m depth about 150m offshore. (I saw a )Few fish (as expected for the location i.e. no surprise), but (a) moderate variety of invertebrates. Horizontal visibility (was) between 2 and 4m, (with a) weak tidal current, sunny and some cloud. Water (was) quite warm compared with SA’s. I think it was about 18C. Air temperature was 25C. No wetsuit used, just boots, gloves and hood, fins and mask and snorkel and Canon G7X2 without strobe i.e. natural light photos only. I mostly stayed at or near the surface, where I could see the sponges, ascidians, bryozoans, etc.. fairly well up close. The bottom was sandy with some seagrasses which I couldn’t see well enough to identify. Heaps of Tasmanian Blennies on the wooden structure, some Blackthroat Threefins, a few red reef crabs Guinusia species, plenty of feral branching bryozoans, spaghetti bryozoans, no Mediterranean fan worms seen. One Serpula fanworm seen. Some nice little yellow and black striped fish ?Stripeys? (I don’t know offhand that species…we don’t get them in SA. One adult weeping Toadfish., Scad (500+ fish, I estimated), and a single flatworm which was very attractive. I saw no nudibranchs and almost no gastropod shells, but heaps of oysters, their kin, and mussels and barnacles were common, unsurprisingly. A few juvenile sea sweep. No wrasses or Leatherjackets, but we saw plenty of wrasses on the observatory tour (senator, Brownspotted, Blackspotted, perhaps others.
I paid the required $5 for a permit to snorkel the jetty (included a waiver in case I drowned or whatever, etc.., and I donated another $5 to the charitable organisation described earlier.
Inside the Busselton jetty underwater observatory
(with tour guide explaining)
Inside the Busselton jetty underwater observatory
Second Snorkel
My 2nd snorkel was yesterday morning as per beach and botanical shots on iNaturalist. Very nice, Jenni even joined me. (We saw) One juvenile Western Blue Groper, One Redlip Morwong, Goniistius rubrolabiatus and a small Southern eagle ray, a big dusky Morwong, some banded sweep, wrasses, a female Herring cale, salmon trout, etc. (There was a) shallow limestone reef, (with) nice terrain.
(Unfortunately, my photos from this snorkel are poor quality despite good visibility (5 – 8m) because I had accidentally levered the interior flash up to the on position and it can’t be turned off without opening the housing (I’m using the old Canon G7X2 without strobe, i.e. supposedly natural light only, but the internal flash highlights any scatter).
Busselton jetty underwater observatory
We’re in Albany now, (where the) weather (is) now poor.