A local filmmaker is using the region's coastline as his muse, free diving to capture amazing footage of the underwater oasis available right at our door.
In his latest short video, Johnny Nicol showcases all of the sea life found at Barolin Rocks after taking the trip with his partner and family on Thursday morning.
“I purely free dive as a means to film; I learnt free diving out of necessity to capture content we couldn't capture before,” he said.
“Barolin Rocks is a great spot for this. It's a nice easy dive with lots of live and soft corals, a great array of small reef fish as well as larger fish and it's also home to a number of other species too which always makes for an interesting dive.
“On this particular dive we came across a couple of olive sea snakes which was entertaining.
“On other dives we have seen turtles, sharks, rays, grouper and all sorts of other species; every dive is always a surprise with what you could potentially see.”
Johnny said he had been enjoying free diving throughout the region for about two years and said Bundaberg water was best in the colder weather.
“I try to dive as much as I can but with filming I am really limited to those cooler, winter months where the visibility really picks up and starts to show off our amazing coastline,” he said.
“Bundy is great for diving as pretty much our whole coast is littered with coral reefs as well as being so close to the tropical islands like Musgrave and Elliot.”
Johnny said fantastic local diving locations included Barolin Rocks, Nudibranch Park and Elliott Heads.
“These are great to jump in and snorkel around the place, checking out the awesome ecosystems we have off the coast,” he said.
“And then for the more advanced divers having access to the larger deep reef systems is a great attribute too as that means there is really something for everyone.”
Johnny said for those who wanted to explore the coast for the first time, diving at Barolin Rocks was definitely a top place to start.
“It's one of the easiest and nicest places locally to get in and have a swim around,” he said.
“Just wait for a good weather period, ask around the local groups how the visibility is going and make your way down the rocks.
“It is important to pick a safe entry location away from oysters and barnacles, jump in, stay close, go in a group and just get used to being in the water.”
Barolin Rocks is situated in the Woongarra Marine Park at Bargara.
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