Hello Fish returns to Sandon Point
There is so much to see at Sandon, especially remnants of the old coal loader wharf
Sandon Point has long been a popular surf spot and has hosted many surfing events including the recent Australian Shortboard Championships. In addition to the action on the water there is also plenty to see below.
A few weeks ago I watched a humpback whale mosey north, not even 50 metres from the main break.
I last covered snorkelling at Sandon in 2021 and figured it was time for another story.
There is so much to see at Sandon, especially remnants of the old coal loader wharf plus a couple of big anchors and parts of the old trolley carts that would transfer coal from shore to ship. There is a lot of maritime archaeology along the Illawarra coast, most of which is unknown.
Depending on the time of year there can be a variety of fish including red morwong, luderick, bream, crimson banded wrasse, hulas, black drummer, mackerel, southern pomfrets and yellowtail.
On the dive covered in the video there is a fiddler ray, two species of wobbegong (although one was possibly a banded carpet shark), a small cuttlefish and a couple of eagle rays, one with two remoras hitching a ride under its right wing.
The real gem was finding a turtle in late winter. Turtles can be found in the Illawarra from time to time (and even further south). They are rare and likely don’t spend long down here.
The water has been clear and unseasonably warm over the past couple of months. The video from 2021 shows a good entry/exit point near the old boat sheds.
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