Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory
Melbourne - Port Phillip Bay Geelong - Queenscliff
Port Campbell Warrnambool Portland
Western Port Bay is an popular venue for scuba diving, snorkeling and underwater photography, especially Flinder's Jetty!
Most of the inshore reefs are dominated by kelp, but the marine life beneath is spectacular and lots of new species have been discovered, including some new nudibranchs. Western Port Bay is dominated by two large islands, French Island at its centre, and Phillip Island at its entrance.
Phillip Island is the site of Melbournes major tourist attraction, the nightly penguin parade, where little penguins can be seen return to the island after a days fishing. Visitors to this lovely island will also see kangaroos, wombats, koalas and other native animals, while divers will find it offers a good variety of dive sites.
It doesn't seem to matter how many times one dives Flinders Jetty there is always something new to see. Even though at only 4 or so metres deep it gives extended bottom time to discover its many inhabitants, there is always more.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Western Port Bay is dominated by two large islands, French Island at its centre, and Phillip Island at its entrance. Phillip Island is the site of Melbournes major tourist attraction, the nightly penguin parade, where little penguins can be seen return to the island after a days fishing. Visitors to this lovely island will also see kangaroos, wombats, koalas and other native animals, while divers will find it offers a good variety of dive sites.
Always a joy to see, Weedy Sea Dragons Phyllopteryx taenolatus are always present under Flinders Jetty. They may be in the sea grass meadows , around the pylons, or even over the sandy bottom. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Pinnacle
This impressive rock tower rises from 40 m, to within 10 m of the surface. Crowned with kelp, the rock is thickly encrusted with gorgonians, zoanthids, bryozoans, anemones, ascidians and a variety of sponges. Reef fish and invertebrates are plentiful. The Pinnacles pelagic visitors include kingfish, snapper and trevally.
Generally only seen during night dives, the Undulate Volute Amoria undulata comes up out of the sand to chase down on other molluscs which it feeds on.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Pyramid Rock
Located off the southern side of Phillip Island, Pyramid Rock can be dived from the shore, but is most accessible by boat. The rock has many gutters, pinnacles, ledges and caves to investigate, at depths from 10-15 m. The reef is dominated by kelp, and may be affected by surge, but beneath the kelp canopy are sponges, sea stars, molluscs, zoanthids and gorgonians. Around the reef are Port Jackson sharks, kingfish, morwong, pike, wrasse, boarfish, old wives, catsharks, rock lobsters, bullseyes, leatherjackets and occasionally a fur seal.
Globefish Diodon nichthemerus are deadly piosonous to eat, will bite if harrassed and if all else fails they can blow themselves up full of water and present a very unpalatable display of spines to any predator. However, despite this, many are eaten by sharks.(photo: Neville Coleman)
Seal Rocks
The largest Australian fur seal colony in southern Australia is located at Seal Rocks. Over 5000 seals live on the rocky shore, so divers are always guaranteed of seeing at least one seal. In fact, divers often have hundreds circling them as they dive the rocky reef. In clear water the experience is unforgettable, and the photo opportunities are endless. All seals are curious and will inspect divers and their gear. It is a fantastic experience when one feels your hand with its nose or whiskers.
Besides feeding on algea, sponges, ascidians and bryozoans, Gunns Sea Star Meridiaster gunnii will also scavenge on dead and dying creatures, including fish and sea urchins.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Flinders Pier
An incredible variety of marine creatures are found under Flinders Pier, at a depth of just 4 m. The pylons are covered in weed, anemones and sponges, which shelter nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, sea stars and weedfish. The bottom is sandy, with thick patches of weed and kelp, and the odd bit of junk. Dozens of weedy sea dragons can be found drifting among the kelp. On and around the bottom live pipefish, leatherjackets, wrasse, boxfish, goatfish, sea urchins, stingarees, cuttlefish, octopi and sometimes a red velvetfish. Schools of sweep and pike often swarm between the pylons, and divers may encounter a huge, resident stingray.
Very commonly seen in small clumps clinging to the pylons, the magnificent Hydroid Ralpharia magnifica presents a wonderful photo - opportunity as there are small commensal amphipods which live in the polyps.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Another member of the sea grass/jetty community is Shaws Cowfish Aracana aurita. This female is moving into the sea grass meadow to escape my attention. The species is very common and is distributed along the southern Australian coast, from Victoria to south Western Australia. ( photo: Neville Coleman
Somewhat similar to the exotic, introduced Japanese Sea Star, it is unfortunate that many of this Australian Beaded Sea Star Uniophora granifera have been collected and killed by mistake, due to some divers (seeking to assist in the eradication) not being experienced enough to tell the species apart.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
This young Miles Velvetfish Aploactisoma milesi has taken on the colours of coraline algae on the rocks it inhabited. This species can mimic a number of colours depending on the choice of habitat.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory Melbourne - Port Phillip Bay
Geelong - Queenscliff 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 around Western Port Bay and Flinders.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
