This was my first dive after 2 weeks in Thailand and I was really missing Sydney diving and in particular The Leap. Conditions looked fantastic with almost no swell.
It was mid tide but the low shelf was exposed so I was able to jump in from there. I descended and headed out at a bearing of around 60°. Shortly after I descended I noticed one or two large shapes moving past right on the edge of visibility (around 5 to 10 metres). It was either one huge thing (3-4 metres) or two large things (2-3 metres each). I could not be sure what it/they were but I assumed they were a couple of seals. I felt a little exposed and hugged the bottom all the way to the sand line.
I arrived at the amphitheatre directly in line with Pygmy Rock. The visibility here was 10 to 15 metres. I searched Pygmy Rock for pygmy pipehorses for around 20 minutes but could not find any. Most of the rock were covered in brown snot algae whereas they had been clean 3 weeks ago when I last dived here. I think the algae made it more difficult to find pygmies.
I gave up and swam over the flat top rock next to Pygmy Rock and spotted a male weedy seadragon with eggs. This was the same male I have seen in the area since early June and I'd last seen him on 27 June without eggs.
I headed towards Seahorse Rock. On the way I came across another weedy seadragon which I suspect is a female due to her deeper body. I have seen her numerous times since the end of last year. I also saw a number of Port Jackson and crested horn sharks along the way. There were some huge females and a number of males pursuing them. They were pretty much all the way to The Steps.
Just past Seahorse Rock I tried to find "Pierre", the male pot-bellied seahorse, at his new location but could not find him. It has been a few weeks since I last saw him and he may have moved on.
Not far from the start of Seadragon Alley I saw my next weedy seadragon. Another suspected female that I have seen numerous times since the start of 2015. I saw a male weedy seadragon in Seadragon Alley. I first saw him in March 2014.
I continued along the sand line until just after Big Rock where I headed up off the sand line by 5 metres or so to try to find the rock I'd previously seen a pygmy pipehorse. It had been 3 weeks and my memory was not as good as I though but eventually I found the correct rock and the pygmy pipehorse. I have the rock etched in my brain so I can find it again.
I headed back down to the sand line until I reached the basket star and then headed up again. While I was swimming i noticed what looked like the tail of a pot-bellied seahorse wrapped around a sponge. On closer inspection I realised it was not only a pot-bellied seahorse, but it was "Rosie"! I was so thrilled. The last time I had seen her was at The Monument in May. She had been spotted by others in June between The Steps and The Leap but I had not been able to find her. I realise now I'd been looking a bit further towards The Leap. I tried to memorise the rock she was on and the area but the area looks so different since the storm in April. I at least knew the rough area and thought I'd be able to find her again.
I headed back past the shallow basket star which I could use as a bearing and then headed to the boulders, doing my safety stop as I swam past the Plesiastrea colonies. I exited at The Steps.
PS: On Sunday I spoke to someone who was on the shore when I descended and he saw two dolphins swim by. Mystery solved. |
