I was a bit unsure what it was going to be like today but it turned out to be a very enjoyable Ricketts Point snorkel. Overall the water was quite clear and surprisingly fishy. The wind got up a bit but it was quite exhilarating and the sun peeked through a little. This nice smiley Rough Leatherjacket that came in to say ‘cheese’ provided the highlight of the swim at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. Just goes to show, there’s always the unexpected to look forward to. Despite what the forecast says and you might think, it’s always worth a look.
The filamentous algae that’s been dominating this site in late summer seems to be disappearing finally. While the water is getting colder it’s still 19 degrees and the drier conditions mean visibility will begin to improve. The Caulerpa is also looking very healthy again (as in above photo) and there is so much seagrass!
I also managed to see and photograph a Snake Blennie, a species I haven’t caught up with before. This individual seems to have some awful nematode infection of the eyes though. It’s not a great photo but all I have to show you.
The rest of the swim was quite lovely and fishy too. For some reason all the leatherjackets were being nice and confiding.
A smartly coloured Goat Fish was nice to see … it did a swim past the camera lens. Just before I needed to get out I also stumbled across a Port Jackson shark sitting calmly right out in the open.
I can’t get over the amount of seagrass at this site right now. It wasn’t like this a couple of years back. At times it’s all you can see from horizon to horizon.
- Cryptic Sacoglossum in Port Phillip Bay, Sacoproteus smaragdinus, 5 May
- Sapsucking sea slugs at Beaumaris, 4 May
- Night snorkel at Blairgowrie Pier, Sat 27 April
- Raja Ampat Trip Report, Coral Triangle Cruise, February 2024
- Night snorkel at Teahouse Reef, Dumpling Squid, Pygmy Leatherjacket, 23 Apr
