Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 100 minute and 1 x 96 minute dives in water depths from 9 m to 13 m. 15 m viz, 20 C water temp and negligible surge.
The forecast advised of up to 20 knots of wind but indicated it would be blowing out of the NW early and the NE after midday and of lesser strength inshore. This could mean only one thing - Old Woman Island here we come - anchor in the lee and a following sea for the homeward trip. And so it came to pass. We chose a random spot on the southern side not at any of our usual sites hence our naming of Elsewhere. A number of ledges outlining slightly shallower plateaus with sandy gutters in between made for interesting and varied topography to search for sea slugs. Enough species were sighted to keep our cameras busy but nothing of exceptional note was observed. Interestingly, out of the thirty species recorded only one was an aeolid - Cratena simba.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires citrinus -/1
Ardeadoris rubroannulata -/1
Ardeadoris sp. 2 4/3
Ceratosoma tenue -/1
Chromodoris elisabethina -/4
Chromodoris kuiteri 4/4
Cratena simba 1/-
Dermatobranchus oculus 1/-
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 12/15
Glossodoris vespa 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 5/10
Gymnodoris sp. 10 1/-
Halgerda aurantiomaculata 1/-
Hexabranchus sanguineus 4/-
Hypselodoris bullockii 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/7
Hypselodoris obscura 1/1
Hypselodoris tryoni -/1
Hypselodoris whitei 2/1
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia coelestis 1/-
Phyllidia elegans 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 1/1
Phyllidia varicosa 3/-
Phyllidiella lizae 1/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 4/5
Roboastra luteolineata 2/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 1/4
Thuridilla splendens 10/5
Tritoniopsis elegans 2/-
Getting underway
Preparing to descend
Beautiful subtropical substrate
and again
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Roboastra luteolineata
Tritoniopsis elegans
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Hypselodoris bullockii
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Chromodoris elisabethina
Ceratosoma tenue
Glossodoris vespa
Three of the Team searching
More lovely substrate
Phyllidia coelestis
Halgerda aurantiomaculata
Phyllidia varicosa
Ardeadoris rubroannulata
The Island, the surface conditions,
the surface interval
The Skipper contemplating the thought
of another dive
Cratena simba - the only aeolid sighted
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Chromodoris kuiteri
Ardeadoris sp. 2 & Roboastra luteolineata
Halgerda aurantiomaculata
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Phyllidia ocellata
Thuridilla splendens
Hypselodoris whitei - a feeding pair
Hypselodoris whitei - on the move
Jorunna sp. 3
Gymnodoris sp. 10
Hypselodoris obscura
Tritoniopsis elegans - juvenile
Halgerda aurantiomaculata
Roboastra luteolineata - hunting
Hypselodoris tryoni
Aegires citrinus - juvenile
Goniobranchus splendidus
