Day 199.
Finally... a dive day. I headed off to see Justine (my chiropractor) to sort my back out in the morning, then came home did some work before moseying down to Matheson Bay mid arvo. I thought about the marine reserve but there was chop, and to be honest, I was craving a trip out to the gullies.
It did not disappoint. There were some great inverts plus a Gem Doris nudibranch - Dendrodoris krusensternii (second to last pic), a Speckled Triplefin - Ruanoho whero (in the first photo... good luck spotting it), and a very young Butterfish - Odax pullus (in the weed in the fourth photo).
I also saw quite a few large sponges (Stelletta conulosa) that look like they are damaged by the heatwave this summer. The large one in the photo however, looks in reasonable condition. I’m continuing to monitor the sponges out at Matheson Island for the University, while they try to figure out what’s making them sick.
