Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on 30/3/14

Dive Details

Location

Date

30 March, 2014

Time

7:27am - 8:45am

Details

Another early start to fit in with the tides. Botany Bay looked a bit calmer today, especially on the coast around The Steps. The Sun was still low in the sky but at least there was almost no cloud.

I jumped in at The Steps as the water looked quite clear. I descended to the sand line and the visibility was 5 to 10 metres. I followed the sand line towards The Steps and the visibility improved to at least 10 metres probably 12.

I came across a lone striped catfish. I'm not sure if it was unwell or just separated from the school, although I didn't see the school.

I continued to the resident basket start only it wasn't on its usual perch on the white sponge. After a quick search of the area I found it on another sponge directly below the white sponge. It was partially open, probably due to the early hour.

I headed up the reef in search of the pygmy pipehorses that Sheree had found last Sunday. When I arrived at the rock I spotted the pregnant male immediately and shortly after the other one which had moved to the adjacent rock. I spent quite a bit of time watching and photographing each of them. I even watched one feeding.

I then went on a search for the Miamira magnifica. I checked the rock it was on last week and then worked my way back along all the rocks we'd seen it previously, right back to the original rock on which I found it on 4 January. I was unable to find it. I do remember the previous large one was often not visible first thing in the morning, suggesting it might be a diurnal species and hides at night. I hope that is the case and we get to see it again. After watching and photographing the pygmy pipehorses again I made my way slowly to The Steps. I found the sponge covered rock on which I'd last seen "Big John", the orange form undescribed angler, but it did not appear to be on that rock. Perhaps a separate dive is in order to find it.

While on my safety stop I spied a tiny vagabond butterflyfish amongst the boulders.

I exited at The Steps.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10+ metres

Duration

77 minutes

Maximum depth

14.8 m

Average depth

12.0 m

Water temperature

22.2°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.

Low

2:33am

0.29m

High

8:47am

1.77m

Low

3:03pm

0.24m

High

9:15pm

1.75m

Camera gear

Camera

Nikon D7000

Lens

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D

Housing

Ikelite 6801.70

Lens port

Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41

Strobe

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161

Photographs

Depth information, where present, indicates the depth of the camera when the photograph was taken and can be used to approximate the depth of the subject.