Dive report: Schooner Bay

Aug 12, 2023
One hour after high tide
Visibility around 8m
Sunny, no wind, waves or current
Freediving 8m max, mostly 3-5m
One hour swim

I walked the bay at low tide then entered the water when the sun came out. I swam straight out from the end of the road (SW) then headed east towards the rocks. I explored the intersection between the rock and sand substrate for 200-300 meters then headed towards the shore and looped back in shallower water.

Exotic Calupera covered most rocks but was in the early stages and was not thick like in Okupu Bay where it has been established longer. I didn't see any bare patches of rocks here where matts of exotic Calupera have been dislodged creating large holes in the biogenic blanket. I also did not see any Unwanted Organisms in either bay (Other than exotic Calupera). There were still many rocks with no exotic Calupera, these were covered in diverse native algae, mostly Coraline turf. Exotic Calupera was expanding into the kina barrens and smothering the shorter native algae, however most rocks were covered in Ecklonia and the tall brown kelps looked unaffected by exotic Calupera (once at full size). Exotic Calupera was under the Ecklonia canopy but limited to rocks, it was not really encroaching onto the sand here.

A few sponges were being smothered by the exotic Calupera but the main habitat being smothered was Coraline turf.

The water was full of salps, mostly broken up but a few chains. Fish seen: Schools of spotty. A few parore, small red moki, banded wrase, violet sweep and triplefins. Just one young sand daggers wrasse, a leather jacket and a small snapper.

Posted on 13 de agosto de 2023, 06:22 AM by shaun-lee shaun-lee

Observações

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 10:30 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 10:22 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 09:48 AM NZST

Descrição

Many

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 09:33 AM NZST

Descrição

Patches

Fotos / Sons

What

Anêmona-Vermelha-Maori (Actinia tenebrosa)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 09:35 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

What

Baiacu-de-Espinho-de-Águas-Profundas (Allomycterus pilatus)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 09:02 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 10:49 AM NZST

Descrição

These two photos only a few meters apart show the transition as exotic Calupera moves in. Here the Calupera is deeper.

Fotos / Sons

What

Bodião-Pakirikiri (Notolabrus celidotus)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:02 AM NZST

Descrição

Abundant

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 10:59 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:05 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:08 AM NZST

Descrição

Showing how it establishes on rock substrate preferably to sand

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:09 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:12 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:14 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:16 AM NZST

Descrição

Showing exotic Caulerpa growing under the Ecklonia canopy

Fotos / Sons

What

Ouriço-Do-Mar-Maori (Evechinus chloroticus)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:22 AM NZST

Descrição

Barren with encroaching exotic Caulerpa

Fotos / Sons

What

Bodião-da-Nova-Zelândia (Notolabrus fucicola)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:22 AM NZST

Descrição

Two seen

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:29 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:27 AM NZST

Descrição

More developed matts

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:29 AM NZST

Fotos / Sons

What

Ouriço-Do-Mar-Maori (Evechinus chloroticus)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:30 AM NZST

Descrição

Using Caulerpa brachypus as camouflage

Fotos / Sons

What

Algas Vermelhas (Filo Rhodophyta)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:31 AM NZST

Descrição

Just recording a diversity of algae here

Fotos / Sons

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 11:34 AM NZST

Descrição

More photos showing how the exotic Caulpera is smothering Coraline Turf

Fotos / Sons

What

Piru-Piru-Variável (Haematopus unicolor)

Observador

shaun-lee

Data

Agosto 12, 2023 10:44 AM NZST

Descrição

One pair feeding on the rocks at low tide

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