Seadragons under Flinders Pier

 Ocean diving, Reef diving  4 Responses »
Nov 052012
 
Seadragons under Flinders Pier

About the site Flinders Pier is a long, shallow dive out off the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula. Because it’s on the opposite side of the Peninsula to Portsea, Rye and Mornington Piers it can be a good dive when the wind is blowing the wrong way. It’s also known for very reliable sightings of the weedy seadragon population that lives there. The pylons and under-pier area has kelp and seaweed, which turn to seagrass as you swim off the sides. You do have to watch out for fishing line, as it was busy up top with fishermen while I was there. About the dive My plan yesterday was to make some great shots of the seadragons, which was [read more…]

Pot bellied seahorses under Mornington Pier

 Ocean diving, Reef diving  6 Responses »
Oct 082012
 
Pot bellied seahorses under Mornington Pier

About the site I’ve spent a lot of time talking about my recent trip to Camooweal Caves over the last few weeks…so here’s something a little different. With the 2012 Underwater Festival shootout running through September, when my gear finally made it back from Queensland I was keen to get in the ocean. Learned items, and there were so many times I travelled around Europe like

Pylons at St Leonard’s Pier

 Ocean diving, Reef diving  No Responses »
Jul 092012
 
Pylons at St Leonard's Pier

About the site St Leonards pier sits on the western side of Port Phillip Bay, just outside St Leonards (surprise!). While I’ve dived a number of piers on the eastern side of the bay, this was the first shore dive I’ve done west of Melbourne. After expeditions to exotic places, it’s nice to enjoy diving around home. Unlike the neutral coloured hard corals of the tropics, the soft sponges in temperate waters come in an amazing array of colours. With easy access to the water from the car park and with fish peeping out from the weed, this is a nice easy shore dive. About the dive I took this photo on Saturday, and those who dive in Melbourne will [read more…]

Spider crabs under Rye Pier

 Ocean diving, Reef diving  3 Responses »
May 282012
 
Spider crabs under Rye Pier

About the site As well as the great wrecks lying out in the ship’s graveyard, diving from Melbourne also features a great set of piers. These shallow and easy shore dives showcase a wide variety of marine critters. Flinders Pier on the east side of the Mornington Peninsula is known for its weedy seadragon population, and scorpion fish, pot bellied seahorses and thousands of nudibranchs can be found between sponge-encrusted pylons all around Port Phillip Bay. While a favourite of macro photographers, the piers aren’t my usual weekend diving destination. Rye Pier lies on the south east side of the Bay, a bit over an hour’s drive from Melbourne. It has a max depth of 5m or so, and as [read more…]

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