Demoiselles (Chromis dispilus) congregate at 36 metres, the highest point of The Thirty Six.
Grey sponges (Ancorina sp.), orange soft corals (Alcyonium aurantiacum) and other encrusting organisms blanket the top of the pinnacle.
The visibility of 10 or so metres on this dive was a little disappointing and is reflected in the greenish hue of the water.
This black coral tree (Antipathes sp.) at 45 metres is the shallowest of several such colonies which branch out from the near vertical walls of the pinnacle. Magenta jewel anemones (Corynactis sp.) encrust some of the dead branches.Other coral tress at greater depth are in better health than this one.
On this dive I dropped down the southern face of the pinnacle which has a sheer wall to 62 metres followed by a jumble of rocks leading to the sandy bottom at 66 metres. I saw no coral trees on this side of the pinnacle. The trees seem most abundant on the western face.
Others swam through a small arch at about 50 metres.
Demoiselles and Jason mirabilis nudibranchs at 38 metres. The diagonal line in the background leads up to Taranui on the surface above.
30 March 2008In beautiful blue water I drop straight down beside the arch and bottom out at 65 metres on its southern side. Several large black coral trees branch out from the walls of the arch. The tree in the photograph above is perhaps the deepest at about 60 metres. The bridge forming the top of the arch can be clearly seen and is only a few metres high.
These ancient trees may have been partially protected from boat anchors and fishermens lines by being under the arch. A large dead coral tree with a 30 mm diameter trunk sadly lay on the sandy bottom beneath the arch.
A slightly shallower black coral tree at 56 metres.Breathing 18/45 trimix I take all this in with a clear head. Others on this dive breathing air are ravaged by nitrogen narcosis and fail to notice that they're beneath an arch.
Divers decompressing beneath Taranui
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2008 ianskipworth.com