Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 14 May 2016

Time

11:02am - 12:42pm

Details

The forecast was for calm seas and I had high expectations for clear water, especially after last weekend. The surface looked pretty good when Ron, Donna and I jumped in from the low platform. In the water the visibility didn't look as good. We descended and swam at around 30deg; to the sand line. I was ahead of Donna and Ron but kept checking they were not far behind. At the sand line visibility was down to only around 5 metres. This was disappointing considering it was 20 metres last weekend. We turned left and headed towards The Steps.

I spotted a weedy seadragon (PT2015081601) just past Seahorse Rock. I then looked for the weedy seadragon in the gap between the two large rocks but couldn't find it. I found the bent stick pipefish on its usual rock and waited for Donna and Ron to catch up so I could show them. They stopped at the previous rock where Donna found the tiniest painted angler I have ever seen. It was only around 5mm from snout to the tip of its tail. I still don't know how she spotted it. I then pointed out the bent stick pipefish and we moved on. Donna pointed out a throny-back cowfish on Southern Cross Rock. Shortly after, I spotted another weedy seadragon (PT2013122201) and stopped to photograph it while Donna and Ron continued on.

I caught up to the others at the start of Seadragon Alley. Donna had spotted another painted angler. This one was quite small but much bigger than the first one. There were 3 weedy seadragons (PT2016041602, PT2014030803, PT2015091101) in Seadragon Alley which slowed me down and Donna and Ron got away from me again.

I finally caught up again just before Big Rock. Donna had found a black angler. The shape suggested it was a painted angler. I'd not seen one before. I then spotted an ornate ghostpipefish. It was quite large. While we were photographing it, we spotted a second and the two of them came together and swam side-by-side. The second one was smaller. Donna and Ron had to leave me here which was disappointing as I didn't get to show them the seahorses.

Shortly after Big Rock I spotted the weedy seadragon with the deformed body (PT2014030901) and then another weedy (PT2015072501). I then swam past the basket star and on to Diversity Rock. "Noel" was low down on Diversity Rock, "Daniel" was in the sponges on the rock to the right, and "Arnold" was in the sponges on the rock behind. I couldn't find "Rosie" at all. I also couldn't find the pygmy pipehorse I'd see last time.

I swam on to the other seahorses and found both "Di" and "Mikhail". I headed for the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and did my safety stop while swimming to the exit. I got out at The Steps.

Buddy

Ron Walsh, Donna Cassidy

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

99 minutes

Maximum depth

21.3 m

Average depth

14.4 m

Water temperature

19.1°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

2:12am

1.57m

Low

9:02am

0.56m

High

3:21pm

1.35m

Low

9:01pm

0.80m

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.

Ornate ghostpipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus. 13.9 m.