Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay is reputed to have the whitest sand in the whole of Australia and according to the Atlas of Australian Dive Sites, is probably the best shore dive in the area. In January 2011 I dived the site with Mick Todd and a thoroughly enjoyable dive it was.
A series of reefs run parallel to shore. Mick took an easterly bearing and we swam out over a couple of the reefs until about two hundred metres from shore and then turned right and followed the ridges. We quickly spotted an estuary catfish, the first of seven that we were to see. They had skin lesions and did not look well. Sardines started forming bait balls and then a bird appeared as if out of nowhere and attempted to attack the sardines. This was only the fifth bird I had seen underwater and for the fifth time I again failed to respond in time to take a photograph. Of course Mick had spotted it before I did – maybe he should have had the camera. There were numerous small stingrays, primarily sand coloured, although a few dark coloured. As we exited the water we looked back to see a big group of very large dolphins.
A fabulous dive.