Julie, Terry, David and Gary on this excursion consisting of 1 x 82 minute and 1 x 68 minute dives in water depths up to 15.0 m, up to 20 m viz, 20 C water temp.
The weather looked great so off to Moreton Island we went. First stop Hutchinson Shoal. Before we descended there was a little surface current but we managed to get to the bottom where there was more current. David and I headed down to deeper water and started to locate nudibranchs. We fought the current on our way back to the boat only to find it ripping. Terry was on board to help David and I get our gear off.
We then decided that was enough and steamed to Aladdins Cave on the east side of Flinders Reef. Much better conditions greeted us.
Despite the current of the first dive we managed to find on a small wall with our latest species Tenellia purpureoannulata. On the second dive there were 10 Thuridilla neona recorded. After the dives we headed back to Australia eating Julies cake and melon. A challenging day to say the very least.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires flores -/1
Aplysia parvula -/2
Bornella anguilla -/1
Ceratosoma tenue 3/-
Chromodoris elisabethina -/5
Chromodoris lochi 1/1
Chromodoris magnifica -/1
Cratena lineata 1/-
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 1/-
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Diversidoris flava -/4
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/1
Elysia sp. 6 -/1
Eubranchus sp. 3 1/-
Flabellina sp. 1 2/-
Flabellina rubrolineata 6/-
Glossodoris rufomarginata -/1
Goniobranchus geometricus -/1
Goniobranchus sp. 6 -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni -/1
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Micromela undatus -/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/1
Pleurobranchus peronii -/3
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum -/1
Tenellia purpureoannulata 1/- NEW SPECIES
Tenellia sp. 9 1/-
Thorunna australis -/1
Thuridilla gracilis -/1
* Thuridilla neona -/10
Verconia laboutei 1/-
Verconia simplex -/1
Our ride
Julie in the current
Dermatobranchus sp. 7
Ceratosoma tenue
Substrate
Hypselodoris whitei
Flabellina rubrolineata
Tenellia sp. 9
Tenellia purpureoannulata NEW SPECIES
Surface conditions and Moreton Island
Terry and Julie looking smart
Chromodoris elisabethina
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum
Diversidoris flava
Goniobranchus geometricus
Pleurobranchus peronii
Goniobranchus sp. 6 juvenile
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Thuridilla neona
Verconia simplex
Flabellina sp. 1
Ceratosoma tenue
Chromodoris lochi
Cratena lineata
Goniobranchus splendidus
Thorunna australis
Thuridilla gracilis
Thuridilla neona
Aplysia parvula
Micromela undatus
Chromodoris elisabethina
Glossodoris rufomarginata
