In Search of Dragons

October-November 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Barb Roy and Wayne Grant

Leafy Sea Dragon
The improbable leafy sea dragon captivates its audience.

Just as the gloomy Pacific Northwest autumn was transforming into winter, my husband, Wayne Grant, and I boarded a Qantas flight to welcome in a new Australian spring. Our journey originated in Seattle, where we caught a flight to Los Angeles, then boarded a flight to Sydney, finally ending in Adelaide, South Australia’s capital city (14 hours from LA). Since our seasons are opposite, it was great to enjoy warm, sunny weather once again.

Nestled between the Gulf of St. Vincent and the lush Adelaide hills, the city displays elegant Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Complete with well-groomed golf courses, a botanical garden, historical museum and award-winning restaurants, this metropolitan area seemed to have it all. Using the Embassy Hotel as a base-camp of sorts, we visited several very different destinations.

Before long Emu Airways had us on our way to Kangaroo Island, Australia’s third largest island with over 450 kilometers (279 miles) of scenic coastline. Jim and Josie Thiselton from Kangaroo Island Diving Safaris met us in Kingscote, where we drove to a remote beach on the northern coast and transferred to their 26-meter (85- foot) boat the Princess II.

“There are over 270 different species of fish endemic to these waters,” explained Jim. “And both the weedy and leafy sea dragons are commonly seen on our dives.”

s we motored down a weather-beaten jagged coastline, Jim also explained that over 30% of the island has National or Conservation Park status and is a haven for a variety of ecological adventures like bird watching, paddling, wildlife viewing and some excellent natural bushwalking. But it was mainly the illusive sea dragons that I was interested in.

“I know of a site where I can almost guarantee you’ll see a weedy or a leafy sea-dragon,” boasted Jim. “Generally they are very shy and hard to find. That is, until you’ve seen one, then they’re everywhere.”

Arriving at the site, we readied our underwater camera gear and then Wayne and I submerged with Jim. The water was clear and blue, yet cold enough to make us glad we were in drysuits. A gentle oceanic surge revealed colorful, hidden, red and orange sponges, purple gorgonian sea fans and numerous other invertebrate life. A friendly western blue grouper watched Jim as he reached under a ledge and came out with a huge lobster on the back of his hand.

Sit on top kayaks on beach
Sit-on-tops tend to be the more common type of kayak in warmer waters.

Continuing on, Jim led us to a green ground covering of kelp in 12 meters (40 feet) of water. Jim was right about the dragons appearing like magic. Both weedy and leafy dragons were present, and luck was with us because all were males, heavily laden with eggs. Unlike most seahorses, which carry their eggs in a front pouch, the eggs of a dragon are affixed to the male’s tail with a sticky substance. They moved surprisingly quickly, with little effort. Out of respect for these delicate creatures, we kept our distance, carefully approaching only for a photograph. Wayne’s digital system didn’t even need a flash.

At the end of the day, Jim dropped us at the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Resort, where a curious, tame kangaroo permitted us a touch. It even gave Wayne several lick ‘kisses’ on his cheek. “The fur feels like goat hair and the tongue like sandpaper,” exclaimed Wayne. We also encountered Tammar Wallabies and saw a few bats.

When not diving, we explored the island with Adventure Charters in a 4WD. Seal Bay Conservation Park offered guided tours along a sand-dune beach to view the endangered Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals up close. Kelly Hill Caves also offered guided tours into an extensive, cavernous, limestone ridge full of ornate calcite formations. Since the island is home to the Flinders Chase National Park, covering 74,000 hectares (182,000 acres), visitors are never at a loss for sites to explore or local wildlife to photograph. Some areas were swampy, and others like desert. Wayne really enjoyed the wild koalas perched in eucalyptus trees, but my favorite was the rough, picturesque coastline.

We saw small groups of kayakers in several of the calm bays where the water resembled a tropical paradise. While chatting with one of the groups, we asked where kayak rentals or tours could be found.

Snorkeller and seal
Playful seals interact with snorkellers

“We brought our boats over on a car,” said Mike Hennessy, an avid paddler from the mainland. “There’s a vehicle ferry several times a day running between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw. We just put in where it looks calm and go exploring and have tea on a remote island or sandy beach.”

Once back in Adelaide, Wayne and I flew to Port Lincoln, where we made our way to a small fishing village at Baird Bay, on the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Alan and Trish Payne hosted our adventure at their eco-friendly lodge, introducing us to their unique part of South Australia.

Within the confines of a shallow lagoon, snorkelers can enjoy swimming with several dozen playful Australian sea lions of all ages. Some will mimic a snorkeler’s every move as they spin circles around you. At times I wondered, who was entertaining who. When Alan jumped in they were all around him and he later explained that this was because he spends so much time in the water with them.

The next day we joined Alan and Trish with a visiting family of five aboard their 12- meter (40 foot) boat Investigator, to snorkel with a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Although the water was slightly deeper, we were still in the protective lagoon with clear, warm water, requiring only a thin wetsuit. The female dolphins allowed their calves to get very close, especially to the young children. I can’t imagine a better memory for a ten year old to return home with after a holiday. Trish had the same effect on the dolphins as Alan had on the sea lions—they instantly surrounded her when she entered the water. It was fascinating to watch their playful underwater ballet.

After bidding Alan and Trish farewell, we returned to Port Lincoln where we toured a commercial seahorse farm. Rather than collecting seahorses from the wild, the farm has successfully raised several species for aquariums, research and other endeavors. Of the 16 species native to Australia, we were most intrigued in how the weedy and leafy sea dragons were doing. When our tour guide discovered Wayne and I were divers, she gave us an informative brochure detailing a code of conduct for diving into the dragon’s lair, produced by Dragon Search and supported by the Scuba Diver’s Federation of South Australia.

Wayne and kangaroo
Wayne receives a kangaroo lick-kiss.

After arriving back in Adelaide, we rented a car and headed for the Hobart Dive Lodge in the historic farming town of Yankalilla on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Designed for divers, the lodge can easily accommodate 10-12 divers or paddlers, offering a hose for washing gear or boats, a kitchen to prepare meals, a BBQ grill and extended check out times.

Before embarking on our dive charter, we opted for a day of paddling with Tyson Gilbert of Surf and Sun Safaris in Victor Harbour. Three other couples joined us as we prepped our tandem sit-on-top boats. We intended to circumnavigate Wright Island, about thirty minutes away. The sheltered bay was warm and calm on the way out, making it easy to photograph multitudes of pelicans, gulls, terns and black-faced cormorants. Wright Island itself is uninhabited, and considered a bird sanctuary, with limited access. We stopped on a secluded beach for lunch and a swim break in a pool of clear, cold, salt water. It was like snorkeling in a huge tide pool, teeming with life. Urchins, anemones, sea stars, small sculpins and snails were among the residents.

Continuing on, we paddled through gentle, rolling ocean swells. The town of Victor Harbour looked inviting in the distance. I could see horse- drawn, doubledeck passenger trams on the long jetty connecting Victor Harbour to Granite Island. Before moving on, Wayne and I took a couple of hours to hike around Granite Island to see the main attraction—tiny fairy penguin burrows scattered about the hills. At first light, the colony moves out to sea to feed, returning at night. Pre-designated paths are marked to keep visitors away from the burrows.

Dave Gordan from Underwater Sports Diving Centre joined us the following day for some boat diving, departing from the St. Vincent marina. The wreck of the AV Ulonga was just 20 minutes away. At 33 meters (110 feet) long the Ulonga was an early twentieth century paddle steamer on the Murray River in New South Wales. The vessel sank in 1976 and its location was lost to mariners until a few years ago.

After following Dave down to the deepest part of the vessel in 40 meters (131 feet) of water, we discovered a colorful blanket of marine invertebrates covering the wreck. While the others investigated the wheelhouse, I photographed a Wobbegong on the deck. These unusual creatures are extremely flexible and have an appetite for cephalopods and crustaceans. Fortunately, this six-foot critter only hunts at night. Unfortunately, time and depth didn’t allow much more exploration.

Before heading home, we took our final dive beneath the ‘T’ shaped Rapid Bay Jetty in search of more dragons. Dave knew just where to find them and, as in our previous encounter, once the first was spotted, the rest were easy to see. With a maximum depth of 11 meters (36 feet) and a lush covering of kelp, the site was ideal for dragons. Wayne and I quickly came across both weedy and leafy sea dragons, all carrying clutches of eggs. Since the dragons remained near the bottom, all we had to do was hover just above the kelp and wait for one to pass by.

When we did manage to tear away from the dragons, we found the pilings to be a wealth of life. Schools of morwong, trevally and beautiful black and silver old-wife fish slid with ease between pilings. Tiny sculpins, eels, nudibranchs, sea stars and crabs were also found. Many of the odd-looking fish and small, round skates were easy to photograph and equally as interesting to watch. As with the other places we visited in South Australia, the Fleurieu Peninsula was very rewarding.

Diving and paddling are done year round in South Australia, but the water tends to be the calmest and visibility the best during the summer months (November–April). Water temperature during this time will range from 19-23 degrees Celsius (66–73 Fahrenheit). Dive equipment and kayaks are readily available for hire throughout South Australia, as well as group excursions. Visitors will find the people friendly, water safe to drink and the accommodations and food reasonably priced.

© Barb Roy and Wayne Grant are freelance photojournalists doing what they enjoy best, traveling to fun places around the world while exploring with kayaks and scuba diving. They live in Vancouver, BC and both shoot with digital camera systems in Aquatica and Ikelite housings.

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