Zenitude: Eddy Reef – Zenitude goes exploring

With settled weather on Monday morning we leave Dunk Island in a north easterly direction towards Eddy Reef with the idea to explore the area and choose a suitable place to spend a day or two at anchor. A dive operator on Dunk Island recommended Eddy, saying it was easy, great snorkelling and quite safe to stay. Oscar quickly checked the Marine Parks zoning map to confirm spearfishing is allowed.

There are many reefs in the area so we know we have more than one option to explore, but I have to admit that unlike Oscar, I don’t have the explorer’s mind. Actually I like to have at least one or two waypoints to show the way into a suitable anchorage, one that hopefully many people have tried before. It’s not the case this time, no waypoints, no anchor symbol in any cruising guide, it is an adventure in the reef.

The next best thing is Google Earth pictures overlayed on the chart. We had looked and overlayed Google Earth on our OpenCPN charts but this isn't as helpful as we like because we couldn’t get good quality pictures. But Oscar has studied the chart and he knows where he wants to go.

We are motoring with no wind and some clouds shadow the waters but three and a half hours and 20 miles later we arrive at our approach waypoint and all clouds have dissipated. At 10.30 in the sunny morning visibility is perfect, we keep going towards shallower waters, the reef ahead is easy to make out and soon the depth goes down to 10 meters and the bottom is clearly visible as well.

We know timing is the worst possible for the tide, the high tide just went by at 10 AM which means we have to make sure we don’t run aground, a scary scenario when you know there is not going to be more water to float you back until next high tide about 12 hours ahead. The chart shows some sand banks but we never see less than 6 meters under the keel. We are seeing some coral heads, they all seem quite deep.

We are in the area where Oscar would like to anchor and Zenitude slides slowly alongside the reef in calm waters. Ahead we see clear turquoise water indicating there is sand in that bottom which also seems clear of coral bommies. Depth is around 8 meters and Oscar is not quite happy. He keeps going further ahead ever so slowly, while I'm carefully watching the bottom to make sure we don’t run over a coral patch. I get anxious and wish we soon find the right spot, Oscar says patience is the key to find the right place, and a bit further down he finds a very nice sandy area at 6 meters depth. We drop the anchor, patience paid and we have found a nice spot. Now I relax.

Anchor Point at 17 46.3704 S 146 26.0600 E

We are not alone, there are plenty of little fishing boats all around, some seem no bigger than a dinghy and I realize maybe this is not such a wild adventure after all. Not long after our arrival a sailboat approaches the reef and finds anchorage quite far away from the coral in the sand bank.

We enjoy lunch and then get ready for our snorkeling tours. Visibility is outstanding, the coral is so pretty we call it Octopus Garden, reminding of the Beatles song. Colorful fish all around and we see the biggest clam we had ever seen, it is so big it appears to be a rock at first sight, with coral trees growing out of it, but then you look closer and see the colors and you realize it is indeed a clam, and it is alive. I wonder how old it is.

I am terrible upset because my underwater camera have just stop working. This is the second Olympus that fail us, this one was just one and a half years old. So there are no pictures of this amazing underwater world this time.