Snorkeling With The Seals Sunday 6th April 2008

Thanks for your interest in this trip. It looks like being a great day. At this stage, the long range forecast is looking good, with predictions of light winds and seas of less than one metre, which is about as good as it gets.

Arrangements for Sunday are as follows:

We will be travelling with Narooma Charters (4476 2240), leaving from the Town Wharf at Narooma. This is the main wharf in Narooma, located on Bluewater Drive, just past the swimming pool. Departure time is 9.30 and all participants should be there at 9.10, so that everyone can be checked in and payment made without delaying our departure. There is usually plenty of parking adjacent to the wharf. The trip to the island takes about 20 minutes. The boat will return to the wharf at around 1.30pm.

Cost of the trip is $77 per person for adults and $55 per child 15 years and under. Payment is made on boarding and can be made by cash or credit card.

Everyone should have their own equipment. i.e. fins, mask, snorkel and wetsuit. If anyone needs additional equipment, it can be hired from the Ocean Hut, Narooma (4476 2278). There are also fins, masks and snorkels on the boat but it might be a good idea to check with Narooma Charters beforehand to make sure they have your size.

If anyone is not sure about the fit or adjustment of their gear, ask me about it on the boat so that you are ready to go when we get to our snorkeling site. If you have a new mask you might like to clean the lenses gently with toothpaste before using it. Masks usually have a protective silicone coating when new and this causes the mask to fog up more easily. The toothpaste will remove this coating.

While snorkeling can be done without a wetsuit, I wouldn't recommend it at this time of year and on this kind of trip. The water temperature has dropped off a bit (18 degrees today) and floating around in the water you will get cold fairly quickly. In addition, the wetsuit provides buoyancy and hence added safety.

Exactly what we do when we get to the island will depend on conditions. The seals are in a fairly sheltered location. We expect to be in the water with the seals for 45 minutes to 1 hour then have a break and move to a different site for a second snorkel. Entry to and exit from the water will be from the boat and people will generally stay close to the boat.

We will provide a briefing on what to do in the water and I will be happy to give snorkeling tips. A briefing on safety issues will also be provided. We will be taking all normal precautions but please remember that people participate in this activity at their own risk and that neither the NCMG nor its members can take responsibility. I will be asking everyone to sign a standard liability waiver on the boat.

People should also bring hats, sunscreen, water, warm jacket, towel and camera (underwater if possible). Naroooma Charters provides tea and coffee; participants are of course welcome to bring more substantial refreshments if they want.

If the weather turns against us, I propose we go to Bar Beach, where we can snorkel around the net there or along the boardwalk. If the weather is looking a bit 'iffy', please call me either on the Saturday evening or the Sunday morning for confirmation whether the trip is on or not. At this stage, though, I want to emphasise that the weather is looking good and I am not expecting that we will need to cancel.