Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 97 minute and 1 x 79 minute dives in depths from 5m to 15m. 20c water temp and 8m viz. Very slight surge on the bottom.
Our original intention of diving the rocky reef area to the NW of the island was thwarted by the NE swell which would have created uncomfortable surge on that shallow site. Diving The Wall to the SW offered a calmer option. Most of the usual suspects were sighted. The silty base of the wall was devoid of sea slugs but the jumbled boulders up on the slope hid many of the finds. Caulerpa racemosa was growing in abundance and harbouring the Oxynoidae species Lobiger souverbii and Oxynoe viridis with the former in the greater number.
Numbers of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Ardeadoris aff. averni 8/3
Ardeadoris electra 1/-
Atys sp. 2 1/-
Chelidonura hirundinina 1/-
Chromodoris burni 1/-
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/1
Chromodoris striatella 2/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 3/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 6/2
Glossodoris vespa -/2
Goniobranchus kuniei 2/-
Goniobranchus splendidus -/1
Halgerda cf. willeyi 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/2
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/1
Jorunna sp. 3 1/1
Lobiger souverbii 1/8
Oxynoe viridis 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 3/5
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/3
*Phyllidiella pustulosa 5/8
Phyllodesmium magnum -/1
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 2/-
Protaeolidiella juliae 1/-
Pteraeolidia ianthina 1/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 1/4
Thuridilla splendens 2/2
Tritoniopsis alba 2/-
Chromodoris kuiteri
Protaeolidiella juliae
Tritoniopsis alba - juvenile
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Thuridilla splendens
Hypselodoris obscura
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Ardeadoris aff. averni - a congregation
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Oxynoe viridis
Phyllidiella lizae
Substrate - jumbled boulders making up the wall
Surface conditions
Atys sp. 2
Dermatobranchus cf. primus - with
yellow oral veil margin
Dermatobranchus cf. primus - without
yellow oral veil margin
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 - in its typical half-buried pose
Goniobranchus kuniei
Ardeadoris electra
Halgerda cf. willeyi
Hypselodoris sagamiensis
Chromodoris burni
Jorunna sp. 3
Chelidonura hirundinina
Phyllidia varicosa
Lobiger souverbii
