Dive Reports – November 2017
Take a look at our dive reports from November 2017! We’ve detailed what we saw, the temperature and visibility, and surface conditions of the Solitary Islands in Coffs Harbour in November 2017.
Dive Reports November 2017 – Table of Contents:
2ND NOVEMBER 2017 – MORE BLUE WATER AT SOUTH SOLITARY!
After yesterdays cool southerly breeze, South Solitary Island was blue and warm. Cleaner station, Shark Gutters and South Boulder Wall were the days dive sites, seeing Grey Nurse Sharks, our resident juvenile Clown Trigger Fish, Blue Groupers, Black Cod, Bull Rays, Lionfish, Nudibranchs, Barnie the Loggerhead Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Moray Abbotts Eel, Slipper Crayfish, Wobbygongs and loads of schooling fish.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 25m
Dive Report by Andy
5th November 2017 – Amazing Conditions at South Solitary Island
Because of the strong southerly winds yesterday we were slightly unsure what the visibility was going to be like today as we headed out to South Solitary Island.
We arrived at the island and it was beautiful, blue and reasonably calm, our divers saw plenty on both dives today including Grey Nurse sharks, Cow nose Rays, Lionfish, Moray Eels and Turtles everywhere!!! One diver today counted six Turtles on one dive.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 20°C
- Visibility: 20m-25m
Dive Report by Lindsay
10th November 2017 – Blue Water Surrounds South Solitary Island!
Under water at South Solitary Island was the place to be today. The water was blue and a balmy 21c. Grey Nurse Sharks, Black Cod, Octopus, Turtles, schooling Tarwhine, Sweetlip, Moray Eels and plenty of Nudibranches were just some of the highlights!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 20m
Dive Report by Andy
11th November 2017 – Clown Trigger Poses for Camera!
Despite a fresh south west breeze making surface conditions a little bumpy, the conditions underwater were spectacular today! Lots of black Cod, schools of Tarwhine and Sweep, Turtles, Nudibranches and our beloved Juvenile Clown Triggerfish. This photo was taken today by Stephen Vaughan who was completing the Digital Underwater Photography Dive of his Advanced Open Water Course! Well Done Stephen!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 15m-20m
Dive Report by Andy
12th November 2017 – Clean Water at South Solitary Island
Today we saw the surface conditions settle down to be quite nice at South Solitary Island today. Despite a bit of rain and cloud cover the visibility was great, pushing to 25 metres and would have been 30 metres plus with a bit of Sun!
Grey Nurse Sharks were at Manta Arch and Shark Gutters along with the usual truckload of fish-life. Turtles at the Gap finished of a lovely slow drift along Boulder wall for the second dive too.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 20m-25m
Dive Report by Mike
13th November 2017 – Blue Day All Round!
South Solitary Island lit up underwater today! The water was blue and so was the day. Cleaner Station and Shark Gutter were the first sites to be explored, then followed by a drift around to The Gantry. Grey Nurse Sharks were in abundance at the northern end, Turtles everywhere, Nudibranchs, Blue Grouper, Black Cod, Semicircle Angelfish, Wobbygongs, Clown Trigger Fish and plenty of schooling fish.
Congratulations Andre and Howard in completing their PADI Open Water Course, well done!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 25m-30m
Dive Report by Andy
14th Dec November 2017 – Fun at Manta and Nudi’s galore!
A couple of great dives at South Solitary Island today with the divers getting a good look at heaps of Grey Nurse sharks around the shallows of Manta Arch area. Also on that dive we saw a Nudibranch which we have not seen in this area before (Photo by Deb shown here), right where we conducted Deep Dive skills test on an Advanced Course.
Dive 2 had another good look at a few Grey Nurse Sharks at Shark Gutters, but the highlights was finding a large number of different Nudibranchs along the walls of the gutters. A couple of turtles topped off a good dive.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 20°C-21°C
- Visibility: 20-25m with cloud cover
Dive Report by Mike
15th November 2017 Grey Nurse Gutter Full of sharks!
Another great day on the water at South Solitary Island with Dive 1 at Manta Arch area, where we found over 15 Grey Nurse Sharks sheltered in the gutter. All the divers had a great dive with the sharks cruising close by two at a time!
Dive two saw the two small groups drifting from Shark Gutters to the Gantry in a nice steady current. Great encounters of Big Black Cod, more Grey Nurse Sharks, Schools of Tarwhine and Bullseyes and more Nudibranchs gave the divers a very easy pleasant dive.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 15m
Dive Report by Mike
17th November 2017 – Turtle Central at South Solitary Island
Buchanan’s Wall was the first choice today for diving and it did not disappoint!! Our divers found lots of Wobbygongs, Nudibranchs, a Turtle eating a huge Jellyfish and a rare Blueringed Octopus.
Dive two was a awesome drift dive as the current was raging around from Shark Gutters to The Gantry, lots to see including Grey Nurse Sharks, Turtles, Moray Eels, Lionfish, Schools of Tarwhine and some big Snapper near the Gap.
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 19°C-21°C
- Visibility: 12m-15m
Dive Report by Lindsay
18th November 2017 – Huge Female Grey Nurse Surprises divers
Once we punched through the NE chop to get to South Solitary Island Buchanan’s Wall was the first choice, our divers saw a very sleepy Green Sea turtle, Blue Gropers, Nudibranchs and Blue Tangs.
Dive two was a drift around to The Gantry, everyone loved this dive and raved about the marine life on Boulder Wall! Kingfish, Bullrays, Eagle Rays, Mowongs, Grey Nurse Sharks and a Blue Anglefish were just some of the life seen, there was also a huge Female Grey Nurse Shark cursing around the gutters up the northern end which made a few divers look twice to make sure it was a Grey Nurse Shark!!!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 19°C-20°C
- Visibility: 12m-18m
Dive Report by Lindsay
19th November 2017 – Turtles Everywhere!
We were lucky to get today’s dives in before the wind and swell picked up. Upon arrival, South Solitary Island held the nice blue water for our first dive at The Gantry seeing so many Turtles, including a Green, Hawksbill and Loggerhead. For the second dive we took advantage of the current and drifted from Shark Gutters to South Boulder Wall, unfortunately the visibility dropped at the end but that didn’t stop the fish from getting up and close to our divers. Blue Groupers, Black Cod, Nudibranchs, Lionfish, Turtles, Grey Nurse Sharks and masses of schooling fish swimming in between everyone were today’s highlights.
Congratulations Belinda, Rachael and Geert in completing the PADI Open Water Course, well done!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 20°C
- Visibility: 15m-8m
Dive Report by Andy
22nd November 2022 – Midweek Snorkel to the Solitary Islands
South West Solitary Island was the ideal site for this mornings snorkel and dive. The Snorkelers were inundated with schooling Sweep, Tarwhine and Mado while the divers hung out with Wobbegongs, Blue grouper and a Grey Nurse Shark!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 20°C
- Visibility: 10m-15m
Dive Report by Andy
23rd November 2017 – Divers Delight at South Solitary!
Ideal conditions for diving South Solitary Island this morning! Our divers explored the northern end of the island spotting Grey Nurse Sharks, Turtles, Black Cod, Lionfish, lots of Nudibranches, schooling Tarwhine, and our resident Clown Triggerfish!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 20°C
- Visibility: 10m-12m
Dive Report by Andy
24th November 2017 – Great day on the water!
South Solitary Island was just amazing today! Manta Arch and Cleaner station were the first dives sites, then followed by a drift from Cleaner Station to the Gantry. Over a dozen Grey Nurse Sharks were seen closely tucked in the back gutter, Turtles, Spanish Dancers, Cuttlefish, Nudibranchs everywhere, Bullrays, Blue Groupers, Black Cod, Lionfish, Moray Eels, Juvenile Clown Trigger Fish and loads of schooling fish.
Congratulations Justin in completing the PADI Open Water course, well done!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 15m
Dive Report by Andy
25th November 2017 – Sunny Saturday!
It was a lovely sunny day at South Solitary. We started at Manta Arch where our divers encountered over a dozen Grey Nurse Sharks in the back gutter. We also saw a very sick Grey Nurse with its dorsal all sliced up, and we suspect its from foul play. The second dive was again a swim from Cleaner Station to The Gantry, seeing more grey nurse sharks, Wobbegongs, Nudibranchs, Cuttlefish, Bullrays, Lionfish, Moray Eels, a big old Slipper Cray, Turtles, Semicircle Anglefish, Black Cod, Blue Grouper and too many schooling fish to count.
Congratulations Sarah in completing the PADI Open Water course, well done!
Visibility 15m Temperature 21c
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 15m
Dive Report by Andy
28th November 2017 – Turtle Tuesday!
A calm sea made for a great couple of dives out at South Solitary Island. With a slight current, divers drifted from Cleaner Station to South Boulder and then to The Gantry on the second. Divers and snorkelers got up nice and close to Turtles, also Grey Nurse Sharks, Octopus, Moray Eels, Nudis, Wobbegongs, Semicircle Angelfish, Black Cod, Blue Grouper, Painted Crayfish and loads of Schooling Fish.
Congratulations Patrick in completing the PADI Open Water course, and Katie in completing the PADI Advanced Course, well done!
Conditions Report:
- Temperature: 21°C
- Visibility: 10m-15m
Dive Report by Andy
