A tall pinnacle rising straight up from 25 to 5 mtrs next
to a large mound which has its highest point around 18 mtrs create the frame
for this dive.
The second I drop down I’m greeted by a very welcome
sight. A large manta ray swoops past underneath me. It decides it doesn’t like
the crowd and gracefully makes a U-turn before ‘flying’ away into the blue. It
is the first manta ray I’ve seen this year and do a little happy dance to
celebrate the occasion. I look over to my friend, he is doing the same. With a
big smile on my face I continue downward.
As I circle the mound an olive sea snake takes an
interest in me. I hold out my hand and he comes over to investigate. Cautiously
he sniffs (licks) my hand, swims up my arm towards my face. I can see every
little detail of this beautiful animal. The perfectly aligned scales, the black
eyes, the little forked tongue flicking in and out of his mouth where he keeps
one the most potent venoms in the world. He looks me straight in the eye and
then leisurely swims off in search of something eatable. As my eyes follow the
snake swimming off, they catch an amazing spectacle.
In the deeper water just off the mound a large school of
big eye trevally seek safety in numbers. A large grey reef shark comes past and
the trevally are visibly on edge. Then 4 or 5 brave individuals break free from
the school and make quick dashes towards the sharks side and tail rubbing their
bodies against its skin. They do this to clean themselves. It is like using a
washcloth that can eat you if not careful. Some animals, like the big eye
trevally, can be quite boring in an esthetic way but their behavior can by more
fascinating than the most flamboyant nudibranch.
I get greeted by a 2nd sea snake as I make way
through a school of yellow striped snapper. The nervous eyes peer back at me as
the school parts before and close behind me. For a moment the world only
consists of yellow striped fish. When the rest of the world joins back in and I
emerge from the school the pinnacle is right in front of me.
I start circling the lighthouse bommie and slowly make my
way up to the top. Long nose hawk fish hide in bushy looking coral. Anthias and
3 spot damsel fish dart around on the pinnacle wall. Bushy and beautiful
feather stars inhabit the top which they share a family of Clark’s anemone
fish. This family in particular has 2 of the tiniest anemone fish I’ve ever
seen. Probably the only fish that word cute can be used on.
The long white ‘feelers’ betray the presence of a pair of
banded boxer shrimp hiding upside down under one of the many ledges. Juvenile
emperor angelfish scurry away from the scary divers.
I reach the top and start my safety stop. Looking at the
small critters below me and the bigger hunters, like sharks, barracuda,
trevally and tuna in the blue surrounding this towering oasis of life.
It is 7.30 am, the ocean is like a mirror, the sun is
out, the sky is a flawless blue and I had my first adventure before breakfast.
What a way to start the day.
