Diving from Rocky Bay is always an interesting experience. The launch site is from a ski-boat fishing club that permits the launching of diving boats. There is an uneasy tolerance, which sometimes boils over, between divers and fishermen. And, of course, there is a history behind this antagonism. Essentially, divers like fish to be in the water and fishermen prefer the fish to be in the pan, so to speak.
The latest controversy relates to one of the fishermen landing 4 tiger sharks, which, as you can imagine, incensed the divers no end. This little incident is currently being processed through the legal system and so we all await the outcome.
Controversy and antagonism aside, Rocky Bay is the launch pad to reefs such as Landers, Kev’s ledge, Geelbeck and Mzibaya Ridge (apologies for any incorrect spelling of this one) to name a few. I have dived some of these reefs and enjoyed every dive. It is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair though, as the conditions vary so dramatically on these reefs.
When conditions are great they are fantastic but when they are not they are downright disappointing.
Today’s dive was one of those in-between dives: low visibility on the bottom but clear in the mid-water and near the surface. I took some photographs near and at the surface having spent the dive just enjoying being in the water again after a brief hiatus of 6 months.
It was fun to play with the camera during the safety stop and this selection illustrates the fun I had.
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- Safety stop choreography, underwater images, Cormac McCreesh
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- Divers at the boat, underwater images, Cormac McCreesh
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- Divers waiting to be picked up, underwater images, Cormac McCreesh
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- Waiting for the pick up, underwater images, Cormac McCreesh
As you can see from the surface photograph, the sky was somewhat grumpy and cloudy and it continued to be so for 7 days. I took these two shots of fishermen after the dive and shortly before it began to rain….ceaselessly.
Fishermen, Cormac McCreesh
Fishing, Cormac McCreesh
