24th November 2012 The Barge/ Baitgrounds

Fog on the ground in the early morning was a good sign for the day ahead. Dead flat seas made for a smooth ride out to The Barge and ideal conditions to spot dolphins swimming about enjoying themselves. Descending down the anchor was initially murky but on the seabed the entire barge was visible plus the reef next to it. The Barge was a garbage barge that was sunk deliberately as a dive site. As soon as we reached the anchor a two metre male grey nurse cruised by for a photo opportunity. Another male measuring 2.5 metres also swam passed for our camera. We peered down holes in the barge and performed roaming marine debris surveys. Two stubby beer bottles were found, one was retrieved however the other was inhabited and left behind. Also sighted were red morwong, jewfish, eastern hula fish, maori wrasse, beardies, sweep, yellowtail scad, traglin, pike, crested morwong, blue grouper, mado, balling catfish, brown catfish, white faced pullers, crimson banded wrasse, yellow catfish, old wives, orange seastars, girdled scalyfin and bullseyes. Maximum depth was 28 metres with a water temperature of 20 degrees. After a surface interval we headed over to The Baitgrounds. This dive we were able to perform roaming marine debris surveys in straight lines of 25 metres, as the reef was small and surrounded by sand. We soon found a fishing line with two hooks and a sin

ker (recovered), a sand anchor complete with rope (recovered) and netting with cabling and rope wedged in the rocks, therefore unable to be recovered however photographic evidence was taken. Two female grey nurses (1.3m and 1.7m) was sighted as well as a juvenile hawksbill turtle, sweep, mado, red morwong, yellowtail scad, balling catfish, old wives, jewfish, eastern hula fish, pike, white faced pullers, girdled scalyfin, maori wrasse, crimson banded wrasse, hawk fish, blue cleaner wrasse, blue grouper, blue damsels, bullseyes, cardinal fish, trumpeters, kelpfish, senator wrasse, Gunters butterfly fish, blue lined kale, eastern smooth boxfish, hard skinned boxfish, numbray, fiddler rays, wobbygong, a school of squid, a port Jackson shark and a port Jackson shark egg case. Maximum depth was 11 metres. GLUG Members Present – Anita Toland, Greg Toland, Janne Moran, Tony Moran, Rachel Dodd and Heather Armour.