Jervis Bay

Attila Kaszo · Issue 72, May/Jun 2013 · pp. 55–59

Products mentioned: Aquatica, Nikon F4s, Nikon D2X, Nikonos V, Nikonos 2, Sea & Sea 200 strobe, Rollieflex 6x6, Sea Tite Australia strobe, Nikkor 20mm f2.8, Nikkor 12-24mm f2.8, Nikkor 35mm u/w, Nikkor 15mm u/w, Velvia film, Ektachrome film

It was mid morning when we arrived at Point Perpendicular, the northern towering headland leading into Jervis Bay. The boat ride was exhausting, not because the fishing trawler which heaved and rolled in the big swells, but more to do with what we drank the previous night. It was 1970, and I was visiting this place for the first time as part of my “open water” course. There was no dive shop facilities, nor dive operators, only a local ship builder, Alf Settree, who occasionally steamed out with fishing or diving parties keen to harvest or explore the region. Not much has really changed in the 30 plus years as far as fishing and diving are concerned, it is still going strong. We see more fishers, a lot more divers than in 1970 and clearly more impact above and below the water. However, what changed was in 1998 Jervis Bay was declared a Marine Park. The ramifications of this management pro…