Return to Chowder Bay Jan 9th 2010

On Saturay January 9th, I returned to Chowder Bay for a quick snorkel with my work mate. Almost arriving at the parking lot, there was a sign which indicated that the car park was closed. Little did we know that it was full from all the buses that transported hundreds and hundreds of scouts from all over Australia. 

We parked some distance away and climbed down a hill and some stairs to get to the beach. We quickly saw that 20-30 kids were continuously jumping from the jetty which disturbed alot of the sand and most likely scared alot of the fish. So instead of snorkeling in the shark net enclosure, we decided to give the other side a go. Being a Saturday, several boats also moored near the beach which worried me as I have read somewhere that a snorkeler had been hit by a boat who had not seen them. However, the boats looked like they weren't going to leave any time soon.

The water this time was unexpectedly cloudy unlike the first time I had come for a snorkel. I would say that visibility was 2m. I also noticed that there were three scuba divers that were practicing by the beach. I believe it was an instrcutor with two students. I really want to start scuba diving..

The first sign of fish life were some whiting and also the leatherjacket shown below. I believe it was dumbfounded by the anchor and attracted to the shine as it just kept following the chain up and down. 

 Leatherjacket

I see you! Octopus eyes

Closer towards the jetty steps, I saw a large plank of wood and decided to investigate and see what marine life it could bring me. When I got closer to the wood, I saw something looking at me. This was the first live octopus I have seen while snorkeling and through all the excitement, I only took one photo which was blurry as hell. It was a poor excuse of a pic. Anyhow, we decided to swim closer to the nets as I have read on Sydneynature.com that sea horses are aplenty here at Chowder Bay.

Sidewards seahorse

For some reason, I did not think I was going to see one that day but luckily for us, we managed to find one (above). Again, this was my first encounter with a live seahorse so I did not pay much attention to my camera and just gazed at it in awe. Apart from the staring eyes of the octopus, this was probably the highlight of the day. One thing I did find difficult was that the tide kept pushing me towards the nets. Had to fight against the tide.

Close to the nets was another leatherjacket that I took a picture of. I some times wonder if I could catch these fish with just a net? They seem so relaxed all the time.

 Leatherjacket just strolling along

Overall, the second trip to Chowder Bay was great in terms of sighting a live octopus and a sea horse. In terms of overall marine life and water visibility, I would not say it was great but ok. I think Chowder Bay is fantastic for families to have a picnic while including water sports as part of their activities. I know that I will definitely go back but maybe next time, I will bring some food and have a picnic while I am there. 

Chad

First trip to Chowder Bay Dec 7th 2009

Back on December 7th, I looked forward to my first 'dip' of summer 09/10 at Chowder Bay. This was where I experienced my first official snorkel with my own gear set, i.e. mask, snorkel, and fins. Unfortunately at this stage, I was not yet convinced that I would become so fixated with snorkeling so I did not invest in any underwater camera. Instead I had my Canon G9 to take all the photo's for me. Below are some pictures of Chowder Bay taken from the beach.

As you can see, the water was a beautiful blue and was secluded from any of the summer crowds. This picture is actually of the shark net enclosure (facing west) where the jetty acts as a section of the shark net. A better view of the shark enclosure is shown below. You may have noticed some heavy duty cranes in the background. I am not too sure exactly what they are doing to the bay but I believe this is one of the reasons why my later dives were not as enjoyable.

Trying to gain some confidence in myself, I decided to stay within the realms of the 'so-called' shark net. I can see why some people may imply that shark nets are just security blankets for the tame as there is a huge hole enough to fit the size of JAWS through. Seeing that I was snorkeling in the shark enclosure, I was surprised to see the underwater activity with schools of luderick swimming aimlessly, bream darting back and forth with some up to 40cm, and king george whiting around the same size. Normally seeing these fish on the end of my fishing line, I was excited to see the abundance of fish in this area. I was also very surprised with the depth of the shark enclosure. I would say that the deepest section would be around 3m depending on the tide. Although not visible in the pictures, rubbish such as drink cans/bottles, empty bait bags (i mean lots!), and golf balls were found. Regrettably, it is the fishermen that are guilty in dumping alot of the rubbish in the ocean.

  

Continuing on to the next section, the picture above shows the east side of the shark net and I believe that one of the shops in the building belongs to the Mosman diving school. Certainly a place I will consider to learn to scuba. I also believe the building holds a nice cafe and an extravagant restaurant. You know where to go whenever you get the munchies!

I must admit that although there were lots of rubbish to be found, this trip to Chowder Bay has instigated my need to seek new snorkeling adventures. I have lived right on the doorsteps of one of the most beautiful harbours but have neglected to enjoy its full potential until now. Snorkeling adventures here I come!

Signing off

Chad

ps. I will post up my other trip to Chowder Bay in the near future