COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

Westerly winds are continuing to blow and we decided to avoid the people fluffing about at the boat ramp (weekend + good conditions + visitors = lots of inefficiency). The water was lovely and flat and the sun was shining trying to ward off the morning chill. We headed out in a slightly different direction again but generally north-east. We scoured the rubble patches amongst the coral on the way out with limited success but managed to find ourselves in amongst the interesting rocky area once we passed over the coral.

Although the actual numbers of each species is still low we were surprised by the diversity we encountered. Most things are really small and detectable by movement or odd colouration, with the exception of the Hypselodoris tryoni and H. emma, plus the phyllidiids. We searched a lot of little blue sponges looking for Jorunna and ended up finding one on the algae on the way back, way off its food source. Although we did not find anything new for the region today, we did see 3 olive sea snakes out hunting this morning. We have not seen these for quite some time, so this was rather exciting.

Taxonomic Diversity:
Sixteen of the seventeen species sighted were nudibranchs, 14 being dorids comprising 6 x porostomes (suctorial feeders), 3 x phanerobranchs (non-retractile gill), 5 x cryptobranch (retractable gill); and nil cladobranchs comprising 1 x aeolid, 0 x arminids and 1 x dendronotinid. A single sacoglossan completes the sightings. A total of 27 specimens were sighted. If diet is considered, eleven of the seventeen were spongivores.

Our Historical data:
– We have now completed 23 survey dives at Rose Bay since our first survey here on 21/11/2022.
– We have recorded 80 species at this site.
– Our most commonly recorded species at this site are Jorunna funebris (48% of dives), Gymnodoris suggens (48% of dives), Phyllidia coelestis (43% dives) and Hypselodoris tryoni (35% of dives). We recorded two of these common species on this survey.
– The most prevalent species we record here are Gymnodoris suggens (1.9/dive), Hypselodoris bullockii (1.6/dive), Hypselodoris emma (1.5/dive) and, Haloa wallisii (1.3/dive).
– This is the first time we have recorded Goniobranchus geometricus or Tritoniopsis elegans at this site.
– Our last survey at this site was on 19/05/2026.
(Historical data courtesy of Terry Farr, who extracts it from his comprehensive database.)

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

TOTAL SPECIES SIGHTED: 17

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

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