Rye pier wobbies.

Dive Number: 111
Location: Rye pier
Date: 19/11/10
Max Depth: 4.9m
Dive Time: 74mins
Temp: 16C
Visibility: 6-8m
Time In: 12:15
Tide: High 12:49 1.2m
Thermal: 5mm Semi dry + 5mm shorty.
Weight: 18lbs. ok

After a short break for air fills our next dive was under the Rye pier where we were hoping to find the wobbygong sharks. The conditions were good here as well although the viz was down compared to Blairgowrie, about 6-8 metres.

We saw a small pod of dolphins swim pasted the end of the pier just before entry, unfortunately that was the last we saw of them. There were a number of fisherman on the pier, one asked me if I could retrieve their rod for them. There were also 3 other divers that hit the water just before us, however we commenced our dive while they were still floating in the water getting ready. This was good as they didn't have the chance of frightening everything away before we got there.

After finding the fisherman's rod, I promptly forgot about looking for the wobbygongs until my head was about 1 metre from the mouth of a 3 metre shark! It was just lying on the bottom under the pier probably with a belly full of yellow-eye mulled which are schooling under the pier. Soon after leaving this shark we were buzzed by a 2 metre stingray, it was checking us out from a distance but wouldn't come close enough for a decent photo.

We found a second, slightly smaller, wobbygong halfway along the end section of pier. It had disappeared on our way back, I later found out from my buddy that one of the other divers had been patting it! She's definately gamer than I am!! Lots of other life to be found under here too, a keeled octopus, red footed snail and a sand flathead which are declining in numbers at the moment. While I was head down taking photos of these my buddy said the large stingray was cruising in close and checking me out. I had no idea.

We found what we think was the second shark that had moved back down closer to the first larger one. Get some decent photos of them under the pier with low viz, low light and no strobe was virtually impossible. Phil exited at the ladder and I decided to swim back under the pier. The school of mullet followed me until the water got too shallow for me to swim and I had to walk, I still had a long way. Much easier to go up the ladder!

Great dive, again, can't wait to get back down there. Next weekend some fresh water diving in Albury.