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Dive Reports

10-03-2021 Hancock Shoals & Terry’s Delight

DAY/DATE

Wednesday

10/03/2021

SITE/S

Hancock Shoals & Terry’s Delight

 

PARTICIPANTS

Julie, Terry, David

 

TYPE

Subtidal

 

MODE

Boat Dives

 

VESSEL

Rebel II

 

DIVE

1

2

 

SITE/S

Hancock Shoals

Terry’s Delight

 

SPECIES #

20

24

 

DURATION

90 Min

73 Min

 

DEPTH/RANGE

10 – 13 m

13 – 17 m

 

TEMP.

26 C

26 C

 

VIS.

7 m

8 m

 

SURGE

Light

Nil

 

CURRENT

Nil

Nil

 

COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

The seas were flat and the forecast was excellent so we trailed the boat up to the Mooloolah River ramp and headed out north to the Hancock Shoals. It had been more than two and half years since we last dived there and so we were full of anticipation at what we might find. Alas, subsurface conditions were not the best with low visibility and some surge. Nothing extraordinary to report from there except perhaps the high species count of Goniobranchus splendidus. For our second dive we headed back south, closer to port, to Terry’s Delight on the Arkwright Shoals. Upon arrival after the short trip we noticed the wind although not strong had changed direction and was coming out of the south east. This was not expected until late in the afternoon. Down-under, the visibility was about the same but the greater depth ameliorated the small swell. We saw more species here, the find of the day being two pair of Aegires flores. Unusually, both pair had laid their spawn right inside the base of hydroids, an odd choice for sponge-eating dorids. Upon surfacing we found the wind had strengthened considerably, much more than forecast, gusting up to nearly 20 knots and so we endured a slow, wet, bash home into the rising seas instead of the forecast following sea. We were thankful that our starting point was the Arkwright Shoals and not the Hancock Shoals. Our final species count of 35, across the three participants, is very respectable given the conditions.

Total Species Sighted: 35

SPECIES LIST – ALPHABETICAL

Aegires citrinus 1/1
Aegires flores -/4
Berthella martensi -/1
Bornella anguilla -/2
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina -/2
Chromodoris kuiteri -/2
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 8/7
Glossodoris rufomarginata -/2
Glossodoris vespa 1/4
Goniobranchus splendidus 10/2
Goniodoridella savignyi 1/-
Gymnodoris sp. 10 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/1
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris tryoni 1/-
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Jorunna sp. 03 -/1
Mexichromis trilineata 4/-
Phyllidia elegans 1/2
Phyllidia exquisita 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata -/2
Phyllidia picta -/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella cooraburrama -/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/2
Pleurolidia juliae -/1
Pteraeolidia semperi -/3
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2
Tenellia sibogae 3/3
Thuridilla cf. splendens 1/-
Tritoniopsis elegans 3/2
Verconia simplex 1/-

SPECIES GROUPED BY ORDER

Nudibranchia
Aegires citrinus 1/1
Aegires flores -/4
Bornella anguilla -/2
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina -/2
Chromodoris kuiteri -/2
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 8/7
Glossodoris rufomarginata -/2
Glossodoris vespa 1/4
Goniobranchus splendidus 10/2
Goniodoridella savignyi 1/-
Gymnodoris sp. 10 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/1
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris tryoni 1/-
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Jorunna sp. 03 -/1
Mexichromis trilineata 4/-
Phyllidia elegans 1/2
Phyllidia exquisita 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata -/2
Phyllidia picta -/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella cooraburrama -/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/2
Pleurolidia juliae -/1
Pteraeolidia semperi -/3
Tenellia sibogae 3/3
Tritoniopsis elegans 3/2
Verconia simplex 1/-

Cephalaspidea
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2

Sacoglossa
Thuridilla cf. splendens 1/-

Umbraculoidea

Pleurobranchoidea
Berthella martensi -/1

Anaspidea

Pteropoda

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