Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound Rottnest Island Houtman Abrolhos Shark Bay Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
Most scuba divers, snorkelers and underwater photographers use Geraldton as a stepping stone to reach the spectacular islands and reefs of the Houtman Abrolhos.
However these divers are by-passing a wealth of limestone reefs with caves and crevasses, and populations of reef and pelagic fish, rock lobsters and spectacular invertebrates along the coast.
The best diving conditions occur from March to May, when the weather has settled and the seas are calm.
Very common in caves and under ledges, Faulkners Coral Tubastrea faulkneri can be seen out during the day in shaded, high current areas. In most cases it is only seen out at night. This species is eaten by the orange - coloured Coral Polyp Phestilla Phestilla melanobranchia.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
The walls, caves and under ledge sessile fauna along this coast is magnificent. The numbers of species have to be seen to be believed.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Most divers use Geraldton as a stepping tone to reach the spectacular islands and reefs of the Houtman Abrolhos. However these divers are by-passing a wealth of limestone reefs with caves and crevasses, and populations of reef and pelagic fish, rock lobsters and invertebrates. The best diving conditions occur from March to May, when the weather has settled and the seas are calm.
During the daytime Old Wives Enoplosus armatus often school up beneath caves overhanging ledges and jetties. It appears that this behaviour is more apparent in the Western forms. On the east coast Old Wives are rarely seen in schools.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Point Moore
Many shore diving sites around Point Moore, on reefs at depths of 1-9 m, have moray eels, stingrays, rock lobsters, shrimp, nudibranchs, butterflyfish, cuttlefish, octopi, sea stars, coral trout, wrasse, scorpionfish and parrotfish.
The limestone reef platforms along the coast make very interesting reef walks and lots of species of nudibranchs and other creatures can be found in the pools and amongst the algae.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Generally seen as a pair, or solitary, the margined Coralfish Chelmon marginalis is a shallow water reef dweller that may often occur on rubble, or soft bottom and appears more common around shore reefs than offshore areas.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Lighthouse Passage
This passage between two reefs attracts schooling fish. Regularly found in the channel are schools of buffalo bream, kingfish, trevally and samsonfish. Stingrays, turtles, gropers and a wide variety of reef fish are also often seen here. The reef at Lighthouse Passage, which drops to 18 m, is covered with soft corals and gorgonians.
Underwater photography is a wonderful medium for divers to record what they see and discover on their dive adventures. It not only provides a record of life experiences, but enables the diver to share those captured moments with friends, and indeed, the world.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Hells Gates
The reef at Hells Gates, sloping down to 18 m, is a good place to find rock lobsters, jewfish, kingfish, blue devilfish, coral trout, baldchin gropers, trevally, turtles and reef fish.
Endemic to south Western Australia, the Baldchin ( Groper) Wrasse Choerodon rubescens is easily recognised by the white chin area and white patch at the base of the pectoral fin. Although seen around reefs, it also spends a lot of time in the vicinity of algae covered rubble bottom.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Fishermans Wharf
A range of invertebrates and many reef fish live under the Fishermans Wharf. Soft corals and sponges cover the pylons and the sea bed.
Breakwater
The Breakwater shelters a variety of marine creatures, including cuttlefish, octopi, sea stars, hermit crabs, butterflyfish, lionfish, moray eels, stingrays and globefish.
The Seargeant Baker Aulopus purpurissatus is a common resident of rocky reefs and patch reefs along the coast, from southern Queensland south, to central Western Australia. Its habit of sitting perched up on its pectoral fins and the white - barred red tail make it easy to identify. Males have an extended, high dorsal fin.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Shallow Reef
Typical of many of the reefs of Geraldton, Shallow Reef has many ledges and caves. Soft corals, blue devilfish, rock lobsters, pineapple fish, shrimp, coral trout, angelfish, nudibranchs and reef fish are found in depths from 4-12 m.
No reef dive along the south coast of Western Australia would be made without the presence of Western Rock Lobsters Panulirus cygnus. The temptation to pick a few up now and then is always present as they always seen so available. However, there are strict restrictions on catching rock lobsters on scuba and penalties apply.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Mayhill Shipwreck
The Mayhill, almost 90 m in length, was an iron-hulled, four-masted barque that ran aground off Geraldton in 1895. The wreck lies at 6 m with the stern standing high above the surrounding limestone reef and kelp. Parts of the hull and mast and her cargo of railway tracks lie nearby.
Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound Rottnest Island Houtman Abrolhos Shark Bay Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
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, Marine Reptiles and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around the reefs off Jurien Bay and Geraldton.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
