COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

Perseverance pays off and on the third inspection for the day of conditions at Horseshoe Bay, things looked good and we scored a carpark near the gearing up area. We headed out along the southern rock wall as we haven’t dived this side for a while. We made it just around the corner then turned and headed north across the reef.

Whilst we did not find many nudibranchs today, we did have a new find for this site and Terry found a flatworm, Bulaceros porcellanus, that is considered rare and we have not seen before. Although not related to nudibranchs we still photograph them due to their stunning colours.

The full moon means tides are reasonably large and this was one of our deepest dives at this site for a while. Visibility is still average and although the water was still 28 degrees we both felt a little chilly today. Combine this with the extreme depth (6.5m), and our dive was a little shorter than usual. When we exited the water the wind had swung around to the east and made surface conditions choppy with the Trichodesmium being washed into the shore line. Fortunately it was not at all like this when we arrived as we would have gone home again!

Taxonomic data:
All five of the species sighted were nudibranchs, three being dorids comprising 0 x porostomes (suctorial feeders), 0 x phanerobranchs (non-retractile gill), 3 x cryptobranch (retractable gill); and two cladobranch comprising 2 x aeolids, 0 x arminids and 0 x dendronotinids.  A total of 9 specimens were sighted.

Historical Data:
– We have now completed 26 survey dives at this site since our first survey here on 12/06/2018.
– We have recorded 63 species at this site.
– The species we record most often at this site are Gymnodoris sp. 35 (38% of dives), Samla bicolor (31%), Hypselodoris tryoni (23%) and Elysia sp. 30 (23%).
– The most prevalent species we record here are Elysia sp. 31 (0.9 per dive), Gymnodoris sp. 35 (0.8 per dive), Samla bicolor (0.7 per dive), and Elysia sp. 30 (0.7 per dive).
– This is the first time we have recorded Noumeaella rehderi at this site.
– Our last survey at this site was on 30/11/2025.

Guide to Symbols:
+++ New Species
+ First time sighted in Whitsundays
# Most commonly sighted at this site with %

TOTAL SPECIES SIGHTED: 5

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

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