Seal Colony, Steamers Beach, Jervis Bay, Australia

• Iain Hosking
• Andrew Kennedy

Liveaboard trip on board "Ocean Trek". Long trip out in a southerly swell (I slept there and back). Kitted up quickly, jumped in and swam down the anchor line to a sandy seabed. No seals to be seen at first. We swam shorewards and the first seal appeared as we hit the rocks. We were soon surrounded by 6-8, which swam all around us with graceful ease. As quickly as they appeared they vanished again, but it wasn't long till a solitary seal reappeared. He stayed very close, practically twining himself around me. He didn't take his eyes off us, and big, round beautiful eyes they were. At the end of the dive he was rejoined by his family, including one very big seal with a young one beside her (I'm assuming it was a mother), and they stayed with us through the deco stop.

82 cu ft tank.
Damp but not cold.

See logbook 9