BHP Bulk Jetty turned out amazing underwater

The ex BHP Bulk Jetty turned out to be an amazing venue this Wednesday night and largely thanks to the swell predictions being complete bollox, again ! Being just one day after a full moon, the spring low tide created shallow knee to waist deep water nearly all the way out to the hanging-ladder. Finding myself standing on my head trying to pull on my new jet fins, the visibility i saw when turning my camera lamp on was outstanding and i wasted no more time heading off to enjoy it.

My buddy and i had agreed we’d head straight for the end, but got immediately side-tracked by a Highfin Moray eel then a big Brownspotted Wrasse (looking very much like a Baldchin grouper as they do when fully grown) and then a Giant Cuttlefish in a couple of pipes over on the south side. It was easy to see the various bits of debris that usually lay just out of view and this presented a great chance to fully explore them in the +12m conditions.

A Bluetailed Leatherjacket was hiding in this kind of mini-fenced compound type area, and made a spectacularly fast get away. A close formation of 5 squid made a fly-past worthy of any air-display, and heading back up the jetty the colours of the sponges and Sea squirts on the pylons looked vibrant and almost tropical.Exploring more broken pipe sections, something the size of a 5-cent coin caught my eye turning and glinting like a wind-chime.

This is when I realise that I really need corrective lenses for my close vision, but funnily through using my camera I could magnify and see it was a tiny Pineapple fish, all spiky, shiny and yellow. This was great news as it means that the couple usually found lurking down at the end must be breeding at this site! A quick fin down to the end found the pair of Pineapple fish in their usual abode and the Masked Stingaree which also seems to have taken up residence, circling the substrate up and down the drop-off.

Nearing the hour it was time to make tracks back which with these jet fins took me only about 5 minutes – I’m seriously sold on them! (caution though…strong ankles needed). I had encountered a couple of Seahorses on the south/left side but nothing compared to the numbers encountered at every turn, negotiating the pylons back to the entry point, seven on one piece of rope, then pairs and threes every couple of metres.

A last detour over the sand turned up a young Port Jackson shark to finish off a fantastic dive that everyone thoroughly enjoyed – though probably not quite so much by the diver who’s dry suit flooded…..Ooooooh chilly!!!

Martin Crossley – PADI Instructor / PADI Speciality Instructor (DUWP and Night)