Dive Details
Location
Date
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Time
3:36pm - 5:01pm
Details
A pleasant afternoon dive with Kim Dinh.
We jumped in on the northern side of the island to the west of the ramp. We surface swam towards the point. The surface water was pretty dirty, I guess from all the rain. We descended to the sand and swam to the outboard motor.
We went up over the ledge and along the sand in front of the boulders. We stopped at the rock I'd seen the pygmy on Saturday but couldn't find it. We then stopped near the top of the slope at the rock with the purple sponge. I was able to find the male pygmy (IL2016012703) but could not see the female. I'd look for her on my way back.
We swam all the way down the slope stopping briefly at the large white male pygmy pipehorse (IL2015081403) and continued around the corner. I wanted to find the grey angler Tomas had pointed out on Saturday. Kim wanted to find the striped anglers she'd seen with Michael McFadyen. We struck out on both counts.
We headed back to New Pygmy Rock and I had no trouble finding the largish female (IL2016011902) and male pygmies (IL2016011903) and the white male (IL2016011901). Kim spotted a juvenile (IL2016012701) in the algae and then I spotted a second (IL2016011904) quite close to the first. They were both ones we'd seen before.
Kim left me and headed up the slope. I had a look around the area for more pygmies but found none. I headed up the slope and stopped at the large white male pygmy (IL2015081403). He was hiding in the sponges. I also found the brown male pygmy (IL2016011905) in the gap. I could not find the female.
I continued up the slope and caught up to Kim just before Pygmy Rock. I stopped at the rock above Pygmy Rock and found a juvenile pygmy (IL2016020201). I'm not sure if this was one of the pygmies Kim and Bob found last week.
We swam to the rock with the pink sea tulips and found the two small pygmies on the side of the second rock: the small white male (IL2016012401) and the small pinkish female (IL2015121901).
Kim left while I photographed the pygmies. I then headed up the slope to the rock with the purple sponge and found the male pygmy (IL2016012703) there. I looked for a bit and eventually found the female (IL2016013001).
I headed to the top of the slope and along the sand. I stopped at the isolated rock I'd seen the pygmy on Saturday but could not find it. I then ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I headed to the exit. I got out to the west of the ramp.
I saw 12 pygmies on this dive.
Buddy
Kim Dinh
Seas
Slight
Visibility
3 ot 5 metres
Duration
85 minutes
Maximum depth
15.1 m
Average depth
10.6 m
Water temperature
19.7°C
Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand
Tides at Botany Bay AEDT
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
High
3:47am
1.39m
Low
10:14am
0.72m
High
3:58pm
1.19m
Low
10:06pm
0.63m
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.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012703). 8.9 m.
Green moray, Gymnothorax prasinus. 14.8 m.
Reaper cuttlefish, Sepia mestus. 13.9 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011902). 13.8 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011903). 13.7 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011901). 13.7 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012701). 13.6 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011904). 13.6 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012701). 13.6 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011905). 12.8 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015081403). 12.7 m.
Juvenile Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016020201). 10.5 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015121901). 9.7 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012401). 9.7 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013001). 8.7 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012703). 8.9 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012703). 8.8 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013001). 8.8 m.