EVERYONE loves Sydney for the beautiful scenery lining our city's shores -- but just below the water line there is another glorious world that is just as breathtaking.  Lack of rain, small ocean swells and warm water has made this week a dream for snorkellers off Sydney's beaches.

Dive and snorkel school shop manager Josie Ruth of Dive 2000 said Sydney is a great place for snorkelling because there was so much to see -- from seahorses at Balmoral to blue gropers at Clovelly and octopus in the rocks around Freshwater.

However, there are less obvious spots such as Bare Island at La Perouse which has a plethora of sponges and sea tulips and Kurnell -- where lucky snorkellers can spot a majestic sea dragon. [The underwater colour around the city] comes from our sponges -- it's not as beautiful as the Great Barrier Reef but it's interesting,'' Ms Ruth said.
The East Australia Current seen in the film Finding Nemo also means an influx of fish off Sydney at this time of year. ``At the moment the water temperature is pretty much perfect,'' Ms Ruth said. ``You need summer to warm up the water.

Jane Kellehur, 24, was enjoying the snorkelling conditions at Clovelly Baths yesterday before heading to Gordons Bay -- south of Clovelly Beach. Ms Kellehur, who is staying in Maroubra after finishing a degree in marine biology in Ireland last year, said: ``I saw gropers and bream here today and an octopus yesterday. ``Some days it's really, really good -- it's so clear.

``I'm used to freezing cold water in Ireland so the water is a perfect temperature for me.''
Manly Hydraulics Laboratory principal engineer Ed Couriel said the ocean was clearer when there was no rain and westerly winds prevailed, driving pollution away from shore.
``Storm water is the main cause of visual pollution on the coast,'' he said.