Hunter-gatherer mission with Dive HQ Whangaparoa aboard Scubedoo on 25 Nov 06.  Depth to 20 m.  Visibility variable 4 to 8 m.  Water temperature 16°C.  Cloudy with building nor’westerly.   Sea moderate with a 1 m chop.  Slight  current running East.  Primary dive site on the northern end of the eastern side of Kawau Island launching from Martin’s Bay.

The mission was not overly successful.  Scollops were abundant but just two crayfish were landed and kept.  However everyone had a great time and that, after all, is what diving is all about.

Photo opportunities were limited but I stumbled across some spectacular nudibranches and some elegant small cod.   There were a few Blue Cod and a schools of Sweep too.  I saw several camera-shy Red Moki but their constant patrolling didn’t allow me to get a presentable photo.  I took some shots of Scallops, much to the amusement of some of the  crew.  The truth is that when I first went on a Scallop dive I had no idea what I was actually looking for.  Maybe these shots will help someone else with prey identification?

The camera performed well, having changed the settings to automatic spot focus, except the flash control button stuck on for a while.  I put this down to lack of O ring lubrication, perhaps combined with insufficient clearance on this particular control.  Prior to future dives I’ll lubricate all of the control O rings with a small amount of rubber grease.

Click on the thumbs to view the full-sized images.