Batsata Rock & Outer Castle

Enjoyed a spectacular day of early winter diving in the Indian Ocean. Gray skies & a slight mist with flat seas sped us out to Batsata Rock with over 70 feet of visibility. Our 2nd dive was at Outer Castle, another reef farther south, again about 50 foot of visibility. Two fantastic hour long dives, in balmy 57F water.... winter is a wonderful thing!

P1010008.JPG P1010016.JPG P1010021.JPG
Under cover - A Puffadder shyshark. Hydroids, anemones, feather stars, and a sea fan with a growth. Orange wall sponge, the largest in the Cape are here. Can be up to 6 ft long. Currently being studied as having anti-cancer properties.
P1010025.JPG P1010041.JPG P1010056.JPG
Mixed marine life at Batsata Rock. Sinuous Sea fan with hybrids, and a nudibranch with some fine lacy white egg sacks left behind. Monty
P1010068.JPG P1010072.JPG P1010080.JPG
Reef & divers Beautiful clear waters Cauliflower soft corals out feeding in the gentle surge
P1010083.JPG P1010084.JPG P1010090.JPG
One of my favorites: Brittle Star Brittle stars can be found in little "colonies". The black one in the middle was trying to get ahold of a snack. Brittle star navigating a sponge
P1010095.JPG P1010099.JPG P1010102.JPG
Cauliflower soft corals and other invertebrate life Orange wall sponge with a splash of other sponge and corals Close up of the textures
P1010105.JPG P1010110.JPG P1010112.JPG
Red starfish everywhere today Too much to name it all... Poor little Puffadder thought I was going to eat him! ) : I righted him so his little white belly wasn't exposed since he tipped the wrong way after his rolling getaway.
P1010114.JPG P1010118.JPG P1010125.JPG
Rolling away... a defense mechanism to make them a more difficult snack for predators. Eyes tight shut. This was the very first time I've seen one do this. Poor little thing! Two nudibranches rest amongst the anemones and urchins.
P1010127.JPG P1010141.JPG P1010143.JPG
Just a lovely little scene with typical Indian Ocean texture and color. My first Red Roman photo - been anxious for one since arriving! Red Romans have pronounced teeth, and roam to depths of 100 meters. This one was a big boy... see females undergo a sex reversal, when they are 30 cm in size.
P1010146.JPG P1010147.JPG P1010152.JPG
A Puffadder shy shark Another charming Red Roman. Mermaids purse. A puffadder shyshark's egg sack.
P1010161.JPG P1010167.JPG P1010168.JPG
Posing next to an orange sponge Sunburst soft coral Red starfish hanging out on some unidentifed but plentiful hard coral.
P1010171.JPG P1010173.JPG P1010179.JPG
Thought it was a great photographic subject Spiny Starfish on a ledge The Cape Town crew at the Southern Right, after a great day of diving.
P1010181.JPG P1010182.JPG
A large, 4-legged large friend who joined us for lunch. He's a Boerboel. Beautiful dog!! Bums 'o bread thieves.

Batsata Rock & Outer Castle Reef
Simons Town, SA
May Day 2005



Last updated: 5/1/05