This was a great dive at Rye! We started out in fog, and ended the dive in brilliant sunsine. Spent some time watching a couple of Maori Octopuses - one at the end of the pier, and one on the shore side of the entry platform. This one was very active, hunting crabs on the pylons, and put on a fascinating display for us.

There were quite a few Seahorses around. Some of them were males, perhaps carrying young, as their bellies were quite distended. We saw one large Smooth Ray, without a tail, and on the way out to Elsa's Reef we must have spotted a couple of dozen Sparsely-Spotted Stingarees. There were a few small groups of Squid off to the side of the pier, a single Zebra, and massive schools of juvening Leatherjackets. Hidden amongst the weeds at the base of one pylon we spotted a very well-dressed Decorator Crab.

Kirsty was able to dive with one less weight than previously, which I carried just in case it turned out that she did need it. I think that she can probably get rid of perhaps another kilogram, which would make walking up the pier easier.

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Divers: Kirsty Batchelor, Peter Batchelor

Weather/Sea: Calm.
Visibility: 4 - 6 metres.
Water temperature: 21°C.
Maximum depth: 7.7 metres.
Time of entry: 08:45
Duration: 100 minutes.