Tag: Grey Nurse sharks

  • The Solitary Islands Weekend Retreat – Two incredible locations, one phenomenal weekend!

    The Solitary Islands Weekend Retreat – Two incredible locations, one phenomenal weekend!

    South Solitary Islands

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    THE TRIP

    The South Solitary Islands Marine Park

    The Solitary Islands Marine Park runs for 90 km north of Coffs Harbour; which is centrally located between Sydney and Brisbane, on the NSW north coast. This is where the warm Great Barrier reef waters from the north, meet the cooler southern waters from Sydney and below. The sheltered Island havens are warmer than the coastal waters producing a unique blend of tropical and sub-tropical fish life, hard and soft corals, and spectacular marine life. With over 25 exciting dive sites we will not be limited in our choices of dive site! Dive with the endangered Grey Nurse Sharks – sure to get your adrenalin pumping as these stunning creatures glide close to you in the water. In season, you will also get the chance to see Humpback Whales on the trip out and back.

    In the Summer months (November to April) the water temperature rises from 19c to peak in March at between 24c and 26c. During that time we see tropical varieties breeze thru with the East Australian Current, with the larger fish like Manta Rays andLeopard Sharks thru to the smaller critters like the Ornate Ghost-Pipefish. Then from May thru to the end of June the water temperature stays above 20c. Then it drops to about 19-18c for the rest of Winter months. The Winter brings us a more abundant number of Grey Nurse Sharks and the special appearance of Giant Cuttlefish. We really like the diving in the winter, and at the temperature it is, it compares to the southern tropical waters of the Barrier reef.

    North Solitary islands

    The North Solitary Islands Marine Park

    The islands are absolutely world class diving. The islands are not only home to the incredible array of temperate species found in New South Wales waters, they are also considered the southernmost limit of permanent colonies of tropical species. The marine park reserve is famous for a diverse variety of marine life, thickly populated at different dive locations around the island.

    At the north eastern end is a small sheltered inlet called Anemone Bay. The boulder strewn site is carpeted with anemones and numerous Anemone fish, cowries, rays, turtles and hard and soft corals.

    The Step, is a rocky drop-off; the wall drops from 15m to 45m and numerous sharks, giant Manta Ray, cod, eagle and bull rays patrol this section.

    The Canyons is another popular spot best described as a multi-coloured aquarium with a few southern species thrown in. Also famous for Painted Cray’s and large dive able depressions in the ocean floor.

    The Bubble Cave; near a spot called Southern Anchorage, is very dark and a torch is required to fully appreciate it. There are air bubbles trapped at the top of the cave. Fish life includes Lion Fish, large schools of White Bait, plethoras of nudibranchs and Spanish Dancers at times cling to the walls of the cave.

    Fish Soup is one of the most requested dive locations. Located at a group of wave washed rocks called North West Rock. It is renowned for a variety of larger fish species such as Black Cod, Mangrove Jack’s , Jew Fish, Spangled Emperor, Snapper, Red Mowong, Tarwhine just to name a few.

    DIVE INFORMATION

    Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
    Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres
    EAN (nitrox) is available upon request at an additional cost
    Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

     TRIP DATES

    TBA

    PRICE

    $600 per person

    Divers with Grey Nurse Sharks at Manta Arch, South Solitary Islands

    WHAT’S INCLUDED

    4 dives (2 dives at the North Solitary Islands and 2 dives at the South Solitary Islands)
    Fuel surcharge for the North Solitary islands trip and marine park fees
    2 night’s accommodation
    Continental Breakfast both days
    Return private transport from Woolloongabba to Coffs Harbour
    Dive Master services
    Tanks and weights.

    Nitrox is available at an additional $20 per tank

     WHAT’S EXCLUDED

     All Dive Gear
    travel Insurance
    Personal spending money
    All meals are at your leisure (with the exception of breakfast)

     GEAR HIRE

    PDS is able to with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

    ITINERARY

    We will departing Brisbane (Woolloongabba) at 4pm on Friday and from here you will be driven in our company van to Coffs Harbour. Upon arrival we will check in to our accommodation and get a good night sleep ready to do 2 dives in the morning at the North Solitary islands. On Sunday, we will do 2 dives in the morning before heading back to Brisbane after lunch. We expect to have you back in Brisbane (Woolloongabba) by mid- evening. An itinerary with more accurate timings will be sent to the divers prior to the dive trip.

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    SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

    Enriched Air (Nitrox)
    Digital Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Videographer
    Peak Performance Buoyancy
    Dry Suit Diver
    Shark Awareness
    Underwater Naturalist

    HOW TO BOOK

    Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

  • Spend a Weekend Away in Byron Bay – Julian Rocks is one of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

    Spend a Weekend Away in Byron Bay – Julian Rocks is one of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

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    THE DIVE SITE

    Discover the Magic of Julian Rocks in Byron Bay – One of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia!

    According to a story from the Bundjalung people a jealous husband threw his spear at the canoe of his wife and her lover. The canoe broke in two and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Only the back and the front of the boat stuck out of the water, creating a rock formation just 2.5 km off shore.

    Named by Captain Cook in 1776, Julian Rocks in Byron Bay consists of ancient sedimentary rock, remains of a volcanic eruption more than 20 million years ago. It is an extension of Cape Byron separated by water and forms a most unique marine reserve, providing shelter and food for more than 500 tropical and temperate fish species alone!

    From the 1st of December 2002 Julian Rocks has become part of the Cape Byron Marine Park and in May 2006 the new Marine Park zoning plan has come into action which amongst other things means that an area of 1500m around Julian Rocks has become a Sanctuary Zone for most of the year. This will hopefully see fish stocks replenish and give the critically endangered Grey Nurse Sharks some well-deserved additional protection.

    Grey Nurse Sharks come to Julian Rocks during the winter months, presumably to breed. Although these sharks look ferocious with their mouths slightly opened and their teeth sticking out, it is perfectly safe to dive with them. The most commonly dived sites during the winter months are the Cod Hole, Turtle trench and Hugo’s Trench as these are where the Grey Nurse sharks like to patrol the sand trenches. An absolutely incredible sight as they are not shy about approaching divers and making sure that they put on a performance you will never forget!

    In spring the blue tang pays Julian Rocks a visit. This is a fish, which can be easily distinguished by its blue body and bright yellow tail. Schools of big-eye trevally are most common in summer. The docile leopard sharks can be seen on almost every dive during mid-summer when the waters are warmest. The spotted patterns on their skin gives them their name. Most of the time they lie resting on the sand, but if you are lucky you can see them swimming, moving their long tail slowly. During the Summer months the biggest draw card to the rocks are definitely the Leopard sharks (also known as Zebra sharks) and the main stars… Manta Rays!! These gorgeous graceful creatures glide effortlessly through the water dazzling divers with their somersaults and back flips, twisting and changing direction with the slightest bend of a fin. These magnificent creatures will keep you enthralled and begging for more as they soar from view

    IMG_8674And then there are of course the ‘regulars’ like different species of wobbegong sharks, turtles, cuttlefish (family of the octopus), schools of white spotted eagle rays, egg-cowry shells, moray eels, banner fish, giant guitar fish and shovel-nose rays. Sometimes there are so many fish around, you can hardly see where you are going. Not to mention all sessile animals (attached to substrate) like tunicates, colourful sponges, both hard and soft corals, giving you the feeling you are floating through some beautifully landscaped underwater garden.

    The Rock also forms a home for rare species such as the leaf scorpion fish, the pineapple fish with bioluminescent organs under its eyes, the shy blue devil fish, white banded anemone fish and a species of nudibranch previously thought not present in Australian waters: Noumea labouti. (A nudibranch is a colourful underwater snail without a shell, carrying its respiratory organ on its back)

    The interaction of tropical and temperate species makes every dive an exhilarating adventure. The three minute boat trip to the rock is almost as exciting: surfing the waves sometimes accompanied by playful dolphins. From May till September the Humpback whales come past Byron Bay and can easily be spotted from the boat. With water temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius and visibility of 20 meters at most times there is really nothing to complain about.

     

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    Dive Information

    -Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
    -Depth ranges from 4 – 22 metres
    -Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

    Trip Dates

    Friday, 23 – Sunday, 25 March 2018

    To book onto this weekend of diving click HERE

    Price

    Weekend Away -$700 per person and includes 6 dives, 2 night’s accommodation return transport from Woolloongabba, Divemaster services, photos of your trip, tanks and weights.

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    The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

    PADI Advanced Open Water course @ $250 per person
    PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $245 per person for manual learning or $395 on-line learning (both prices include 2x Nitrox fills)

    What’s Excluded

    All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
    Travel Insurance
    Personal spending money
    All Meals are at leisure

    Gear Hire

    PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

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    Itinerary

    If you are travelling to Byron Bay in the Professional Dive Services van, which will leave from Adreno (54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba) at 7pm on Friday evening to miss the weekend traffic south. We will confirm for you on pick up which spots are okay to park that aren’t part of the Woolloongabba zone and are free unlimited parking.

    A confirmation with all timings will be sent to you closer to the dive date.

     

    Specialties Suitable for this trip

    Advanced Open Water
    Under water Navigation
    Enriched Air (Nitrox)
    Deep Diver
    Digital Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Videographer
    Search and Recovery
    Peak Performance Buoyancy
    Underwater Navigation
    Dry Suit
    Diver Shark Awareness
    Underwater Naturalist

    Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

     

    HOW TO BOOK
    Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

    OR

    Click HERE to book online

     

  • Get your Grey Nurse Shark on during Shark Fest at Shark Alley, North Stradbroke Island

    Get your Grey Nurse Shark on during Shark Fest at Shark Alley, North Stradbroke Island

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    THE DIVE SITE

    North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane.  Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia.

    Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May- Sept), plus Bull and Eagle Rays, guitar and Wobbegong Sharks, Turtles, Dolphins, Octopus, Pelagics, hard and soft corals, Nudibranchs plus hundreds of tropical fish species.

    Up to 8 fabulous dives getting up close and personal with the labradors of the sea, Grey Nurse Sharks. Flat Rock in winter is a melting pot of pelagic life. Grey Nurse sharks patrolling the sand gutters whilst you are serenaded by the haunting melodies of the southern humpback whales. Literally anything could swim past!

    There is a choice of 12 varying dive sites to choose from and we can plan your trip based around your experience level which include the most popular sites of Manta Bommie, Flat Rock and Shag Rock.

    As we are able to dive with Grey Nurse Sharks over the entire weekend, every effort will be made to dive Shark Alley at Flat Rock.

    North Stradbroke Island Map

     


     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    DIVE INFORMATION

    Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)

    Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres

    Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

    TRIP DATES

    TBA

    Grey Nurse Shark

     

     

     

    PRICE

    $750 includes –  8 dives,  2 nights’ accommodation at Manta Lodge, tanks, weights, return transport from Woolloongabba to Cleveland, ferry transfers, Divemaster services if required and photos as a momento of your trip.

    The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

    Advanced Open Water Course @ $250 per person
    PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $195 per person
    Peak Performance Buoyancy @ $195 per
    Shark Awareness @ $195 per person
    Enriched Air / Nitrox @ $245 per person (includes 2 nitrox fills)

    NITROX NOW AVAILABLE!! Nitrox fills are $20 per double dive i.e. $40 for the day or $80 for the weekend.

     WHAT’S EXCLUDED

    All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
    Travel Insurance
    Personal spending money
    All Meals are at leisure

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    GEAR HIRE

    PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the day and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available if arranged in advance and are subject to availability. Gear hire is available from the dive operator on North Stradbroke, however this maybe at a higher rate.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ITINERARY

    The timings for this weekend of diving will be dependant on the number of dives you do over the weekend. If you choose to do the full weekend of diving; I have noted the timings below. A more detailed itinerary will be sent to the divers closer to the date.

    You have the option of meeting the group either at the ferry terminal in Cleveland or in Woolloongabba where John will drive you to Cleveland in our van.

    Departing Woolloongabba

    We will meet at 4pm sharp at Adreno, 54 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba. You are able to park your car here for the weekend, either off street parking or at the rear of Adreno.

    Departing Cleveland

    We will be catching the Big Red Cat car and passenger ferry which will depart Toondah Harbour (1 Emmett Drv, Cleveland) at 5pm sharp . Please meet John at the ferry by 4:45 pm.

    We will aim to catch the 5:55 pm ferry from Dunwich (North Stradbroke Island) and should be back at Cleveland by 6:30pm on Sunday. If you are travelling back to Adreno with John, we should have you back there around 7:30pm. There maybe a possibility that we could catch an earlier ferry back to the mainland, however this will all be dependant on the running of the day.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    COURSES & SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP

    Advanced Open Water
    Under water Navigation
    Enriched Air (Nitrox)
    Deep Diver * Site dependant
    Digital Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Videographer
    Search and Recovery
    Peak Performance Buoyancy
    Dry Suit Diver
    Shark Awareness
    Underwater Naturalist

    Note- Some specialties are site and conditions dependant. All efforts will be made to complete course dives on a booked trip, however if conditions do not allow it the diver will have to book onto another trip to complete the course requirements.

    * Site dependant

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    HOW TO BOOK

    Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

  • Wolf Rock  – Grey Nurse Sharks All Year Round!!

    Wolf Rock – Grey Nurse Sharks All Year Round!!

    THE DIVE SITE

    Wolf Rock at Rainbow Beach is one of the few places in Australia where you can see Grey Nurse Sharks all year round and they are HUGE! Compare Wolf Rock to other dive sites where Grey Nurse Sharks are only seen in winter, this site is truly unique. Wolf Rock is also the ONLY known aggregation site for pregnant female grey nurse shark on the whole east coast of Australia.

    At the end of mating season (Oct- Dec) the numbers of grey nurse shark found at Wolf Rock increases dramatically; meaning that you will be diving with mainly female sharks. It is understood that Wolf Rock receives 50% of the pregnant females and no-one knows where the other 50% go. This has triggered scientists to research their movements and find other aggregation site/s. They suspect it is somewhere in southeast Queensland, perhaps even at the top end of Fraser Island.

    Wolf Rock – Video by Simon Walkden-Brown

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    DIVE INFORMATION

    -Suitable for Advanced Open Water Divers or Open Water Divers doing their Advanced Open Water Course
    -Depth ranges from 10 – 35 metres
    -EAN (nitrox) is available upon request
    -Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience

     

     

     

     

    TRIP DATES

    DAY TRIPS

    Thursday 31 December 2020

    To book online for one of our Wolf Rock day trips click HERE 

    WEEKEND TRIPS

    11 to 13 December 2020

    Day Trip – $300 per person- 2 dives, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

    Midweek Overnight Trip – $600 per person- 4 dives, 1 night accommodation, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip  and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

    Weekend Trip – $650 per person 4 dives, 2 nights accommodation, tanks, weights, surface interval snacks, lunch, photos from your trip and return transport to Rainbow Beach.

    The following are recommended upgrades for this trip

    Diving on Nitrox@ $ 40 per double dive
    PADI Advanced Open Water Course @ $275 per person
    PADI Deep Diver speciality Course @ $245 per person
    PADI Enriched Air speciality Course @ $295 per person for manual or $445 for on-line learning. These prices include 2 nitrox fills

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    WHAT’S EXCLUDED

    All Dive Gear (excluding tanks & weights)
    Travel Insurance
    Personal spending money
    All Meals are at lesiure

     GEAR HIRE

    PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, computer, tanks and weights for the weekend and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. Each diver must provide their own mask, snorkel, fins and boots (not available for hire). Underwater camera and torches are also available and are subject to availability.

    Alternatively, gear hire can be arranged from the operator, however this could be at a much higher cost.

    COURSES & SPECIALITIES SUITABLE FOR THIS TRIP 

    Advanced Open Water
    Enriched Air (Nitrox)
    Deep Diver
    Digital Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Photographer
    Underwater Videographer
    Peak Performance Buoyancy
    Dry Suit Diver
    Shark Awareness
    Underwater Naturalist

    HOW TO BOOK

    Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].

    OR

    Book online via one of the following links:

    Day Dive Trip- To book online for one of our Wolf Rock day trips click HERE 

    Weekend Dive Trip- To book online for a weekend trip click HERE