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Temp: Surf 22°C Bottom 22°C
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Dive type : Wreck
Recent Divers in Cape Bowling Green, QLD
Dive Profile
- 1. Nitrox 35
- 12L Steel
200 → 50 bar
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- Average depth: 15.3m
Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier, 1829 (Bigeye barracuda)
Nocturnally active, but occurring in large schools above lagoon patch reefs and along outer reef slopes during the day . Feeds mainly on fishes, but also on penaeid shrimps and squids. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning need confirmation.
Nocturnally active, but occurring in large schools above lagoon patch reefs and along outer reef slopes during the day . Feeds mainly on fishes, but also on penaeid shrimps and squids. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning need confirmation.
Caranx ignobilis (Forsskål, 1775) (Giant trevally)
Pelagic over sand and rock . Adults occur singly and inhabit clear lagoon and seaward reefs . Juveniles found in estuaries. Feed on crustaceans and fishes at night . Large individuals may be ciguatoxic. The largest t...
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Pelagic over sand and rock . Adults occur singly and inhabit clear lagoon and seaward reefs . Juveniles found in estuaries. Feed on crustaceans and fishes at night . Large individuals may be ciguatoxic. The largest trevally, reaching 1.7 m in length and a weight of over 60 kg . Spawn on shallow seaward reefs and offshore banks . Sold mostly fresh and dried salted.
Plectorhinchus cinctus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1843) (Crescent sweetlips)
Inhabits coastal reefs, near rocky and coral areas . In Hong Kong live fish markets .
Inhabits coastal reefs, near rocky and coral areas . In Hong Kong live fish markets .
Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Nurse shark)
During the day the nurse shark is a sluggish animal, spending most of its time resting on sandy bottoms, or in crevices in rocks and coral reefs. Often several nurse sharks may congregate when resting, sometimes even pili...
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During the day the nurse shark is a sluggish animal, spending most of its time resting on sandy bottoms, or in crevices in rocks and coral reefs. Often several nurse sharks may congregate when resting, sometimes even piling on top of one another . At night however, the nurse shark actively roams the sea bottom and reef for prey. It feeds on bottom invertebrates such as spiny lobsters, shrimps, crabs, sea urchins, squid and octopi . It is also feeds on fish, its nocturnal nature enabling it to prey on resting fish that would be too active during the day to capture . The nurse shark's small mouth and large pharynx enable it to feed by a unique suction method, effectively making the nurse shark the 'hoover' of the ocean floor. By cupping its mouth over a hole or crevice and expanding its throat, it creates a vacuum that sucks prey out of their hiding . This suction-feeding is also useful for extracting snails from their shells , and it will dig in sand to root out prey sensed by its fleshy barbels . The nurse shark is one of few sharks in which courtship behaviour is relatively well known . The male swims alongside the female, grabs one of the pectoral fins in his mouth, rolls her over and they mate . A large number of males will often try to mate with a single female, and females often bear numerous bite-scars and bruises received during mating attempts. It is therefore not surprising that females frequently try to avoid males by swimming in very shallow water, where they can bury their pectoral fins in the sand . Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous , a method of reproduction whereby the young develop inside a weakly-formed egg shell within the mother, receiving nourishment from their yolk sac, for five to six months . The females move to shallow seagrass beds and coral reefs to give birth to 20 to 30 pups in late spring and summer . Like many sharks the nurse shark is slow growing, with males not reaching maturity until 10 to 15 years of age, and females 15 to 20 years .
Aipysurus laevis Lacépède, 1804 (Olive Sea Snake)
Disteira nigrocincta DAUDIN 1803 (Black-banded Sea Snake)
Dermochelys coriacea VANDELLI 1761 (Leatherback Turtle)
Adult leatherbacks feed mainly on jellyfish and other soft-bodied species . They are exceptional amongst reptiles because they are partly able to maintain an elevated body temperature via thermal inertia and a specially or...
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Adult leatherbacks feed mainly on jellyfish and other soft-bodied species . They are exceptional amongst reptiles because they are partly able to maintain an elevated body temperature via thermal inertia and a specially organized blood supply system in their shoulders . These features allow leatherback turtles to travel to cold waters and to dive to depths greater than 1,000 meters in search of prey . To nest, females emerge at night on nesting beaches to lay their eggs. Using their rear flippers they excavate deep 'boot shaped' nests into which roughly 100 eggs are laid. Around 20 percent of the eggs in each nest are small and yolkless . Individuals return to nest every few years, but within one season a female can lay four to ten clutches of eggs . The sex of the hatchlings is influenced by incubation temperatures: hotter nests produce all females; cooler nests produce all males .
Eretmochelys imbricata (LINNAEUS) 1766 (Hawksbill Turtle)
Hawksbills may take decades to mature and it could be between 20 to 40 years before they are ready to breed . Upon reaching sexual maturity, a female will typically lay up to five clutches of around 100 to 140 eggs in one ...
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Hawksbills may take decades to mature and it could be between 20 to 40 years before they are ready to breed . Upon reaching sexual maturity, a female will typically lay up to five clutches of around 100 to 140 eggs in one breeding season, and then wait a few years before nesting again . Nesting is much more dispersed than in other marine turtles, but individuals do tend to return to a particular beach season after season . Having survived the dash to the sea, hatchlings are believed to spend their first few years in the open ocean before returning to more sheltered coastal waters. Recent studies indicate that the oceanic phase may be shorter for hawksbills, or even omitted in certain regions, as hatchlings swim less vigorously than those of other species . Probably less than one out of 1000 eggs will survive and reach adulthood . Adults are opportunistic predators, using their sharp beak to prize invertebrate prey from crevices within the reef. Unusually amongst marine animals , sponges make up the majority of the hawksbill's diet .
Plectropomus laevis (Lacepède, 1801) (blacksaddled coraltrout)
Typically found hovering just above the bottom , this large grouper is one of the major predators within its coral reef habitat , feeding on a range of large fish, including other grouper species and crustaceans. Its tend...
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Typically found hovering just above the bottom , this large grouper is one of the major predators within its coral reef habitat , feeding on a range of large fish, including other grouper species and crustaceans. Its tendency to feed on large fish explains why high concentrations of ciguatoxin may be found in this species . Like many groupers, this species has a fascinating life history. All blacksaddled groupers begin life as a female, and then as the animal ages, based on internal or external triggers, it shifts sex to become a male animal, a system known as protogynous hermaphroditism . Most groupers are solitary fish, except when it comes to spawning , when small groups or larger aggregations form to release large quantities of eggs into the surrounding water . The eggs are fertilised by sperm released by males into the water, and after a period, the round, floating eggs hatch to reveal a tiny larva. The blacksaddled grouper is a fairly fast-growing species, with females reaching maturity in less than three years . Groupers typically spawn as a female for one or more years, before changing sex and then functioning as a male .
Variola louti (Forsskål, 1775) (lunartailed rockcod)
Usually seen in clear-water areas at depths below 15 m, and prefers islands and offshore reefs rather than continental shores. Feeds mainly on fishes, and on crabs, shrimps and stomatopods. It is highly appreciated for t...
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Usually seen in clear-water areas at depths below 15 m, and prefers islands and offshore reefs rather than continental shores. Feeds mainly on fishes, and on crabs, shrimps and stomatopods. It is highly appreciated for the quality of its flesh. It may not be sold in Mauritius because of cases of ciguatera poisoning . In the Hong Kong live fish markets .
Epinephelus tukula Morgans, 1959 (potato cod)
Mainly found in deep reef channels and seamounts, in current prone areas . Juveniles may be found in tide pools . Feeds on reef fishes, skates, crabs, and spiny lobsters . Considered to be exceedingly territorial and ve...
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Mainly found in deep reef channels and seamounts, in current prone areas . Juveniles may be found in tide pools . Feeds on reef fishes, skates, crabs, and spiny lobsters . Considered to be exceedingly territorial and very aggressive towards intruders. Vulnerable to spear fishers . Hand fed by divers in certain areas, but potentially dangerous to the inexperienced. In the Hong Kong live fish markets .
Plectropomus pessuliferus (Fowler, 1904) (Leopard grouper)
An uncommon species found in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs. In the Hong Kong live fish markets .
An uncommon species found in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs. In the Hong Kong live fish markets .
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Thomas De Meulenaer
Australia
Date: 2014-08-31 - 11:08
Max Depth: 27.6m Duration: 34mins
Wreck dive SS Yongala