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Red Indian fish
Clown fish
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Fish Soup at North West Rock in
the Solitary Islands Marine Park is one of my favourite dive sites. I remember
jumping into the water one April morning and being surrounded by swarms of huge
jewfish, kingfish and trevally.
The early morning
light streamed down creating beautiful dappled patterns on their backs.
Schools of tightly packed pomfreds and damselfish swayed gently against
the current. As we floated along, the pomfreds gracefully parted to
allow us to swim right through. The Solitary Islands are home to a mix
of temperate and tropical marine life and because the islands are away
from the coastline the water is usually clear and a rich deep blue.
The current eased as we reached the bottom at 18 metres. Here there
were lots of red morwongs, rock cod, large silver drummer and blue
gropers. The overhangs and caves were thick with brilliant orange
tubastrea corals. In one cave hovered three large lionfish and on the
rocky floor were two huge wobbegong sharks. I remember looking up and
seeing the silhouettes of six big eagle rays glide by, framed by
ethereal light.
What attracts such a profusion of fish to this small rocky pinnacle?
It’s probably the currents laden with plankton. From a diver’s point
of view it is great that this site has been a marine sanctuary since the
early 1990s, ensuring that for years to come there should always be
plenty of fish at Fish Soup.
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