OCTOBER 2020
It must be 30 years since I last carried my scuba gear down to Coalcliff for a dive. It was with my brother and all I recall about the dive was going into a gully to be confronted by a large wobbegong and not being able to get out because my brother was right behind me. We all survived.
This time my son and I did the walk. I know a lot of the shallower geography because I have snorkelled there many times. We walked to the main gutter to the south of the pool, jumped in the water and took a compass bearing due east. Down to the sand in the gutter is about 9 metres (deeper than I thought).
There are some nice swim-throughs in the gutter area along with some small caves and overhangs. We found two small wobbegongs hanging out on the bottom and a small school of bulls-eyes under one of the ledges. There were lots of mado swimming around, a few yellowtail, the occasional red morwong, as well as a small red rock cod.
We continued on over some relatively dull, flat terrain until we reached the sand again in about 12m of water before turning around to find a wall with all sorts of things including a small lobster located in an overhang. On the wall itself were
sea tulips and jewel anemones and a small gorgonian fan.
For me the two highlights of the dive were a patch of the colonial ascidian called Botrylloides magnicoecum (the magnificent ascidian) and another colonial critter, Zoanthus robusta, which looks like a carpet of purple cocktail franks. At night time they put out yellow tentacles to feed on floating organic matter drifting by in the plankton. If you look at the video you can also see two nudibranchs called blue devils.
We will definitely go back to explore other parts. Care is needed though as there is abandoned fishing line all over the place, which is an entanglement hazard for divers.
SNORKEL COALCLIFF
One of my favourite snorkelling sites is also at Coalcliff. Park on Paterson Road and walk through Leeder Park towards the rock pool, then turn right.
About 100m south is a small bay. On the northern side of the bay are a number of relatively easy entry/exit spots that are protected from northerly winds and waves and drop into about 4 or 5m of water.
Often there are anglers gathered along this area so it pays to swim south towards the other side of the bay. You will cross a channel and after about 20m or so the seabed will rise to a rocky, seaweed-covered terrace about 2-3m deep. In the channel may be schools of yellowtail, garfish and the occasional black reef leatherjacket. After about 50m the terrace will start to break up into a boulder field where white-eared drummer are common,
as well as the occasional black drummer, bream or luderick.
On the southern tip of the bay a shallow reef juts north. Depending on the tide it may be less than 1m deep so it pays to keep an eye on how the swell is being affected. However, there are commonly lots of fish including drummers, sea pike, one-spot pullers, hulas and occasionally surgeonfish and rabbitfish.
If you’re feeling adventurous, head out to sea about 30m across the deep (6m) channel and the reef will rise up to a depth of about 3m. Head north and, especially in late summer there may be big schools of yellowtail and the occasional kingfish.
If the water is clear you may see the occasional morwong or leatherjacket in among the rocks. As you head back to the exit site you will be over a barren terrace that breaks up into gullies on the eastern side. Australian salmon, migrating north, may be seen in a school hoping to avoid predatory dolphins.
The visibility at Coalcliff can be very variable. The geology is comprised of sandstone and shale and the shales contribute fine sediments to the water that can make the visibility poor after rain or windy conditions. If so, head south towards Bellambi. Like the whole coast, the abundance of life varies from place to place and from season to season.
Watch more of Duncan's videos at Illawarra Underwater on YouTube.
