Tweed Heads & Cook Island Byron Bay Ballina Coff's Harbour
South West Rocks Port Macquarie Lord Howe Island Norfolk Island
North Haven Forster-Seal Rocks Port Stephens
Newcastle-Swansea Central Coast - Terrigal Sydney North
Sydney South Wollongong to Kiama Jervis Bay Uladulla
Bateman's Bay Narooma-Montague Island Tathra
The resort town of Merimbula and the busy fishing port of Eden are located halfway between Sydney and Melbourne.
Scuba divers will particularly enjoy the great shore dives, the off-shore reefs and shipwrecks, the exceptional marine life and underwater photography opportunities.
Sheltered inshore waters are also excellent for snorkeling. Fish such as leatherjackets, cowfish, boxfish, morwongs, wrasse, scorpionfish, weedfish, old wives and perch are all common.
Divers are also likely to see stingarees, conger eels, fiddler rays, electric rays, blue gropers, wobbegongs and perhaps an angel shark partly covered by sand.
Marine invertebrate species are plentiful, with a number of species of sea stars, sea urchins, nudibranchs, crabs, shrimps and many other types inhabiting the reefs.
One of the most attractive species of compound ascidians, the Magnificent Ascidian Botrylloides anceps may be many - lobed, or appear as a single lobe. The smaller colonial zooids imbedded in the matrix ( which make up the pattern) are the intake siphons and the larger communal exhalent siphon is at the top.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
The resort town of Merimbula and the busy fishing port of Eden are located halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. This picturesque area of rugged rocky coastline is known as the Sapphire Coast because of its clear blue coastal waters. Both towns are popular holiday destinations offering surfing, fishing, horse riding, bushwalks and a host of other activities. Divers will particularly enjoy the great shore dives, off-shore reefs and shipwrecks in the area. Two dive operators work the Sapphire Coast area, Twofold Dive Charters based in Eden, and Merimbula Divers Lodge based in Merimbula. Both offer dive courses, boat dives and package deals on accommodation and diving.
Distinctively shaped and marked, the Long - snouted Boarfish Pentaceropsis recurvirostris is an Ausralian endemic and ranges from central New South Wales, south and around to south Western Australia. Although it appears commonly seen in some areas, it is targeted by spearfishers at other places and is only seen in deep water. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Shore Diving
Long Point, a rocky reef off Merimbula, is the most popular shore dive in the area. Kelp dominates the shallows, the perfect habitat for weedy sea dragons, sea horses, cuttlefish and green moray eels. The kelp gives way to sponges as the rocky reef drops into the sand at 15 m. Reef fish such as leatherjackets, cowfish, boxfish, morwongs, wrasse, scorpionfish, weedfish, old wives and perch are all common. You are also likely to see stingarees, conger eels, fiddler rays, electric rays, blue gropers, wobbegongs and perhaps an angel shark partly covered by sand. Invertebrate species are plentiful, several species of sea stars, nudibranchs, crabs and shrimp can usually be found.
During spring and summer months is the time for tropical opisthobranchs and nudibranchs. The Rose - petal Bubble Shell Hydatina physis may be seen in shallow water and in sheltered rock pools with algae covered sand or rubble substrate. This is a tropical species and Merimbula appears to be the southern extent of its range.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
There are a number of interesting short dives around Eden, and a little further south, exciting adventure dives at Green Cape. Although most sites at Green Cape are accessible by 4WD only, the multitude of fish and invertebrates inhabiting the rocky reefs make for rewarding dives. The area always provides an accessible shore diving site no matter what the conditions, but consult the local dive shop for advice.
Common to jetties and shallow water reefs the Painted Hypselodoris Hypselodoris infucata feeds on sponges and grows to 45 mm. Although it is a tropical species found throughout the Indo - Pacific it is also found in South Australia and south Western Australia.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Merimbula Boat Dives
One of the most outstanding sea stars on the deeper water reefs of the south east coast is the Ocellate Sea Star Nectria ocellata which grows to 200 mm and feeds on sponges. This orange colour form is rarely seen. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Many rocky reefs offer great boat diving just off Merimbula. Short Point Bommie rises from 18-5 m, and attracts large schools of pelagic fish including kingfish, bonito and clouds of yellowtail. The base of the pinnacle has brilliant sponge gardens with weedy sea dragons, blue gropers, octopi, nudibranchs, stingrays and abundant reef fish. The Gardens at Long Point, situated in 16 m of water, are packed with sponges, gorgonians, sea tulips, ascidians and bryozoans. This is also a good place to see reef and pelagic fish, many colourful nudibranchs, Port Jackson sharks, giant cuttlefish and sea horses. Wonderland, a rocky reef in 25 m of water, has a superb sponge garden, divers will find few places to settle, as the bottom is completely covered with a kaleidoscope of encrusting marine life, as well as stingrays, weedy sea dragons, boarfish, leatherjackets and many varieties of reef fish.
Rarely is a dive in the vicinity of a jetty, embayment, or deeper water bommie made without encountering a school of Yellowtail Scad Trachurus novaezealandiae. These little fish are the main food source for the bigger pelagics such as Kingfish, Tuna and Trevally. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Empire Gladstone
Often referred to as a "Rock Cod", the Red Cardinal Scorpionfish Scorpaena cardinalis belongs to the Scorpionfish family ( Scorpaenidae) and has no affinity with the "rock cods' which belong to the family Serranidae.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
In 1950, the 140 m-long Empire Gladstone hit Haystack Rock, before breaking up and sinking. Much of the wreck Ð the boilers, prop shaft and numerous twisted plates and ribs, can be found protruding from the kelp, in 6-12 m of water. Divers can swim inside and along the long drive shaft tube, which opens into the engine room which is usually packed with yellowtail and sweep. Pieces of wreckage lie everywhere on the rocky bottom. Wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, stingrays, cuttlefish, moray eels, plenty of reef fish and the occasional school of pelagic fish gather around the remains. Divers may see a fur seal as they sometimes visit the area.
The Mosiac Sea Star Plectaster decanus should never be picked up with bare hands as it can cause a rash, or overall numbness to the hand if carried around for even a few minutes. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Eden Tugs
Many interesting rocky reefs and sponge gardens are found off Eden; however, the most requested dive site is The Tugs. In 1988 the local dive operator sank two 42 m-long tugs, the Henry Bolte and Tasman Hauler, to create an artificial reef. The Tasman Hauler sits upright in 30 m on a sandy bottom, and less than 500 m away the Henry Bolte rests at 26 m. After only a few years underwater, the wrecks are coated with beautiful pink jewel anemones and encrusting sponges. Many reef fish are found around the tugs, and schools of baitfish swarm about the wrecks. Although penetration diving is discouraged, divers are able to explore the massive props, masts, superstructure, and look into the bridges and engine rooms. The wrecks lie at the entrance of Twofold Bay, in clear water, and 30 m visibility is not uncommon.
The most colourfull Sea Fan in the south eastern coastal waters, Ellis Sea Fan Mopsella ellisi can be orange, yellow, or red. The fans may reach a height of 1 metre in deeper water. As yet there are no records that fans are inhabited by Spindle Cowries Phenacovolva angasi, although there is one record of this species being dredged in Victoria. No live ones are known.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Tweed Heads & Cook Island Byron Bay Ballina Coff's Harbour
South West Rocks Port Macquarie Lord Howe Island Norfolk Island
North Haven Forster-Seal Rocks Port Stephens
Newcastle-Swansea Central Coast - Terrigal Sydney North
Sydney South Wollongong to Kiama Jervis Bay Uladulla
Bateman's Bay Narooma-Montague Island Tathra
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in living taxonomy and marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around Merimbula,Pambula, Eden and Green Cape.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
