Goofnuw Mini Wall
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Dominant features This site is located on the south side of Goofnuw channel which extends much further out than the north side. It is generally done as a drift into the channel with the incoming tide. At times, current here can approach 2 knots just before high tide, This dive can often be combined as a fast drift to the Valley of the Rays where we then watch the Mantas for the remainder of the dive. There are vertical walls along the sides of the channel from 30-100 ft. (9 - 30 M) that alternate with sandy or coral slopes. Very large coral heads just off the wall attract the fish and are a pleasure to swim around. Near the entrance to the Valley of the Rays, the channel narrows markedly and a white sandy bottom ascends to a depth of 30 ft (9 M). Beyond this shallow area, the bottom quickly drops away and the channel widens out to form the entrance of the Valley of the Rays. Coral The shallow portions of the reef have a prolific growth of hard corals. This would be a great dive at 15 ft (5 M) just to look at the shallow hard coral gardens, but then you'd miss the pelagics down deeper. Fish Life White Tips and Sting Rays are frequently seen near the mouth along with schools of snapper and humpheads. Near the shallow sandy area at the middle of the drift, numerous White Tips can be seen sleeping on the bottom. It is not uncommon to see 10- 20 sharks on this drift. Occasionally, Leopard sharks are seen laying on the bottom. Ledges near the bottom on the south side of the channel offer refuge to lobsters. The nutrient rich water of the tidal outflow from Goofnuw Channel attracts a wide range of fish species. And of course, this is the only passage into the Valley of the Rays, so all of the Mantas entering and leaving the cleaning areas pass through this restriction. |
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