* Don't forget to check out our Photo Gallery for our new local 'snaps' from our last few dives !.

Dive News 

The big news of the month is that "Coral Diver" has had a "facelift" with a new coat of paint, a new boarding ladder and also a brand new motor.  November is usually an excellent month for diving because the water has warmed up and is still good and clear before the real rains start.  The mornings and evenings out on the water are usually as calm as a mill-pond, although between about 11 am and 3 in the afternoon the harbour chops up a little, so if it's calm water you're after - try the morning or late afternoon dives.
The "Booya" has been seeing a few divers in the last couple of months and is still a popular dive.  The other newish wreck of the "Medkhunan" is starting to attract some fish life, although it is a bit slower than we expected.  There is lots of coral growth now on the wreck, so care needs to be taken so that you don't slice your hand open on the barnacles (they are a bit vicious).  The big Greasy Cod seem to like the "Med" as well as the "Booya".
On the neaps at the beginning of October, we had great vis' in the harbour, so we decided to have another look at some of our old favourites that we hadn't been able to visit for a while.  We hadn't dived the "Song Saigon" for some time and were surprised to see how much of the superstructure has collapsed - the whole of the front wheel-house is now just junk on the deck and just about all of the roof of the superstructure has now gone.  The fish still seem to like what is left of the cabin though and there was a big school of smallish Jewies hiding in there.  The big schools of Jewies that we used to see on the wrecks have disappeared over the last couple of years, so its was great to see these smallish ones back again.  Hopefully we may see more in the coming years !
The vis' on the "Meigs" was just as good - about 8 mtrs - so we had a ball!  It was disappointing though again, to see how few fish stocks were around; as the "Meigs" has traditionally been a haven for large schools of Jewies, Snapper, Sweetlip and Cod.  There were a few around but not so many as we are used to seeing.  Another interesting part of the dive was that we found a Spiny Sea Urchin on the wreck.  As far as we can tell, this is the first time the Spiny Sea Urchin has been seen in Darwin Harbour - we have lots of Slate Pencil Urchins, but we have never before seen the Spiny variety!  It is possible that it has come in on the Indonesian fishing boats or maybe even off the trawlers that ply the Gulf of Carpentaria, because they are endemic over that way as well.  It will be interesting to see if they become more common over the next few months.
The dives in November are going to be awesome ... so book in now or you will miss out on some of the best diving Darwin can offer!