Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory Westernport Bay - Flinders
Melbourne - Port Phillip Bay Port Campbell Warrnambool Portland
Adjacent to geelong across the Bellarine Peninsula , is Queenscliff, one of the most popular scuba diving, snorkeling and underwater photography locations in Victoria.
The Point Lonsdale Reef Marine Reserve is part of the Harold Holt Marine Reserve complex, which also takes in Point Nepean, Swan Bay, Popes Eye and Mud islands.
This reserve, covering 110 hectares is an important "type locality' for more than 50 species of opisthobranchs, with over 200 kind of nudibranchs having been recorded there.
The rock platform at Point Lonsdale exposes lots of rock pools and sheltered shallows where over 100 species of opisthobranchs have been found. The notorious 'RIP' can be seen in the background.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
A common resident of inshore rocky reefs along the Victorian coast is the Little Sea Star Parvulastra exigua. The species feeds on algae and detritus and grows to 20mm. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The closest major city to the entrance to Port Phillip Bay is Geelong, with a population of over 200,000 people and increasing every year.
Adjacent to Geelong across the Bellarine Peninsula , is Queenscliff, one of the most popular diving locations in Victoria.
The red, or orange spots on the Tasmanian Chromodoris Chromodoris tasmaniensis can range from minute specks, to large blotches. This wide variation does not appear to be location orientated. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Point Lonsdale Reef Marine Reserve is part of the Harold Holt Marine Reserve complex, which also takes in Point Nepean, Swan Bay, Popes Eye and Mud islands. This reserve, covering 110 hectares is an important "type locality' for more than 50 species of opisthobranchs, with over 200 kind of nudibranchs having been recorded there.
One of the undescribed species discoveredby Bob Burn in the rock pools at Point Lonsdale is this beautiful little Many - lined Janolus Janolus sp.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
In a single rock pool at low tide Mr. Bob Burn has recorded over 50 species of opisthobranchs, over 27 species in a single day.
Found in only 3 metres of water at Popes Eye this Southern Melibe Melibe australis uses its large oral hood to catch small crustaceans. It grows to 20 mm./
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Diving anywhere in the vicinity of Port Phillip Heads requires guidance from local dive professionals in good boats. They can show divers the best of the bay and take away any worry, indecision and risk, for what can be 'a very hairy dive'. Places like the Lonsdale Wall have the exciting visuals one can imagine.
Zimmers Sea Fan Mopsella zimmeri may be found in various shades of colour, including red, orange, pink, white and yellow. In shallow water it often grows beneath ledges, in caves and underjetties.
( Photo: Neville Coleman)
Giant bryozoan colonies over 1 metre across, bright yellow zoanthids cover the sides of caverns, jewel corallimorphs and sea whips are everywhere. But the 'RIP' as it is known, is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the Southern Hemisphere and can only be dived at slack water.
Found from low tide down to at least 25 metres, the Ambiguous Chromodoris Chromodoris ambigua is an Australian endemic which is found in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. It grows to 15 mm and feeds on sponges.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory Westernport Bay - Flinders
Melbourne - Port Phillip Bay Port Campbell Warrnambool Portland
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 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 of Port Phillip Bay and around Queenscliff.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
