In 2012 I enjoyed eleven dives in Nelson Bay, the conditions varying enormously.
Since my first dives there in November 2009, Mary and I had moved from Sydney to Forster NSW but there was little difference in the travelling time to Nelson Bay from Forster.
January Mick Todd and Nicci “Scuba Squirrel” Johnson drove up from Sydney to join me for two dives at Halifax Park and Fly Point. Unfortunately there was an algae bloom and the underwater visibility was quite poor. I saw a Blind Shark, a common species locally but this was first time I had seen one so it was an exciting moment for me.
March I dived The Pipeline with Nic Rewitt, the owner of Newcastle Dive Centre. Nic had kindly offered to try and find a Blue Ringed Octopus for me. They are masters of camouflage and the blue rings only become evident when they feel threatened. It seemed that everyone but me had seen one underwater and indeed it only took Nic a few minutes to spot one. I was thrilled; this was a fabulous dive, my best yet in Nelson Bay. I returned to the same site the next day with Steven Begley. My newly purchased inflator hose connection malfunctioned and I was unable to inflate any air into my BCD which made this dive tricky. Predictably I searched in vain for a Blue Ringed Octopus!
April After weeks of wonderful weather, the air temperature dropped to 13 degrees when Mary and I drove down to Nelson Bay from Forster. We dived Halifax Park and Fly Point with Steven Begley and Martin Johnson in a torrential downpour. But underwater conditions were very different and despite disappointing visibility, we saw plenty of marine life and had a great time. Two weeks later for two consecutive days Steven and I again dived Halifax Park and Fly Point. The first two dives were excellent, on its day Nelson Bay is a great place to dive. Unfortunately I had a camera issue for the next two dives.
November I again met Steven, this time with his girlfriend Mel Marshall. We dived Halifax Point and it was a fabulous dive. The visibility wasn’t perfect but there was a wonderful array of sea life in highly photogenic positions. This was to be last 2012 dive as a couple of days later I was scheduled to be in “dry dock” for 3 months for surgery on my right hand and foot. I had warned Steven and Mel before this dive that I was having difficulty using my right hand but they forgot so watched baffled as I awkwardly fixed a BCD issue using just one hand! A superb dive to finish the calendar year on.