Clovelly Again - Two Trips 17th and 18th of October 2015

Now I know I already did a post on Clovelly last week but I work at a teenage rehab and I had a few kids over the weekend who had never been snorkeling so I figured Clovelly was a great beginner spot. And plus the beauty of snorkelling is that you are always going to get different photos and see new friends. So without further Adieu:

Got some more great shots of Blue Gropers; the kids loved how friendly and inquisitive they were coming up to suss us out.

Another real treat was a decent sized octopus I spotted under a rock, I’m fairly sure this is called a Common Octopus; but they have earned the nickname of gloomy due to those sad eyes.

We also followed a flighty little porcupinefish for awhile.

I couldn’t get a great look at the guy below, but to my amateur knowledge looks like a Blue Lined Goatfish; a shy little mullet native to Australia's Pacific coast.

Also saw plenty of common stripeys also nicknamed 'footballers' due to their distinctive pattern.

A male Crimson Banded Wrasse also made an appearance (though I didn't get a great shot)

And scored a very arty shot of a school of Eastern Sea Garfish.

All in all two more trips that cemented Clovelly as one of Sydneys premier snorkeling spots.

Clovelly 16 10 15 Afternoon

Clovelly 

I thought I would start this blog off with a splash! Clovelly is one of Sydney’s top snorkelling spots. Due to man made barriers, it is a secluded narrow channel that is mostly untouched by big surf. It is a breeze to get to with plenty of buses as well as a decent sized car park that doesn’t charge. Because of the calm conditions there is a perfect environment for coral and kelp, which allows for a huge abundance and variety of marine life.

Some of the fishy friends on offer.

I got down there about 2pm and the water was perfect; great temperature and good visibility. With not too many other swimmers cluttering up the place. Within an hour I had spotted more than half of the guys on the board as well as two highlights; a beautiful 1m port Jackson shark and a 1.5m wobbegong. Whilst wobbey’s are fairly part and parcel for this area, the Jackson was a real treat.

You are also almost guaranteed to see a bunch of blue gropers; I would have seen at least 5 today. Keep your eyes peeled for “Bluey”; a local legend with a distinctive cut on his right side. The male gropers have more of a blue colour whilst the females are slightly greener and smaller.

I also spotted a decent sized porcupine fish (probably about 40cm)

Pros

• Easy to get to (Free parking – usually easy to get a space, and a solid bus route)
• The sheer number and variety of fish
• Nearby café
• Safe for kids – if you go in close to the beach
• Usually great visibility and not much trash

Cons

• If there is big surf and it is coming from the right angle it can get pretty dicey in the channel, and can cause rough visibility

About this blog

Welcome. Strap on some flippers, spit on your mask and dive on in to my blogo-sphere. I’m starting this blog (my first foray into virtual journaling) as I noticed a distinct lack of information about good spots to snorkel in Sydney. I’m hoping this can help keep me motivated to snorkel and chronicle my undersea adventures (I always loved pokemon snap) and also provide a guide for tourists or locals on some of Sydney’s best spots.

Now I want to stress, I am an amateur. I have only gotten into snorkelling over the past couple of years; I am still fairly uncoordinated in flippers and have virtually no knowledge of marine biology. I also am not a great photographer and all of my shots will be taken with a little point and snap underwater Nikon.   However, despite these failings I love being underwater and as I work a job with weird hours snorkelling is one of my favourite things to do alone whilst all my friends are off at work.