2012
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In late February 2012 my regular dive buddy Mick Todd and I travelled to Wooli to stay at Wooli Dive Centre and dive the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve. The Kraken, a 12 metre catamaran, took us out for four dives. Two at The Bubble Cave, North Solitary Island, two at Pimpernel Rock. We were particularly fortunate to be able to dive Pimpernel Rock as sea conditions are rarely good enough. It is a large pinnacle. The bottom is at 50 metres and the pinnacle projects up, almost breaking the surface. Before World War II it did break the surface. But use as a bombing range by the Australian Air Force changed that. Subsequently the Australian Navy decided it was a navigation hazard and blew the top 8 metres off.  In addition to the large central pinnacle, there are a number of other pinnacles all connected together by a ridge of rock ridge which create an amphitheatre and in the middle of that amphitheatre is a large and spectacular cavern.

Mick and I returned 5 weeks later with a ProDive group for eight more dives at North Solitary Island. That is four at The Bubble Cave, one each at Anemone Bay, Elbow Cave, Fish Soup and The Mackerel Run. 

Marine life highlights seen on these two trips included a gigantic school of very large Jewfish, Kingfish, several large Bull rays, Green turtles, Grey Nurse, Leopard and Wobbegong sharks.