Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 16 September 2017

Time

12:18pm - 2:01pm

Details

Dama and Roney were running late because of a friend they were bringing so I decided to go alone as I had somewhere to be after the dive. The wind across the bay was still quite strong but the shoreline between The Monument and The Steps was quite calm.

I got in at the protected area a third of the way from The Monument to The Steps and waded out to the edge of the ledge. I dropped down over the ledge and headed for the sand line. The visibility looked better than yesterday, mainly because there was less particulate matter in the water. It was probably around 5 metres and there was only gentle surge. The tidal current was quite strong. The water temperature was around 16°C. When I reached the sand line, I turned left and headed towards The Monument.

I was on the hunt for anglers and looked carefully on all the rocks. When I got to Block Rock I looked all around the area for the little orange painted angler but I could not find it. It has been nearly 3 weeks since I last saw it.

I continued towards The Monument. At the wall I expected to see a weedy seadragon near the big clump of red alga. It was there and he had eggs. The eggs looked quite new. Further along the wall I looked for the black painted angler and grey red-fingered angler but found neither of them.

At the end of the wall I swam over the top to the rocks where the other orange painted angler has been. It was back on its original rock. I found the male pygmy pipehorse on the adjacent rock.

I swam down to Carijoa Rock and found the pink male pygmy pipehorse immediately. I found the cryptic female nearby. I headed up to Slope Rock but found no pygmies there. I found Dama's red male pygmy on the adjacent rock but I didn't find the female. I looked around the area for the other red male but could not find it.

I slowly made my way up to Seahorse Rock. I had a quick look for the female White's seahorse on the lower side of the rock but couldn't find her. I found the male on a sponge next to a Capnella colony on top of the rock. Both spindle cowries were in their usual spots.

I swam out on to the sand wondering of I could find the little dragonfish and found it before I'd even finished my thought. As I was manoeuvring to take its photograph I noticed the female White's seahorse in a sponge on the sand.

I took lots of photographs of the little dragonfish and the seahorse before heading up to look for the egg cowries. I found one which was out in the open. I also looked for the leaf scorpionfish but couldn't find it.

I had air left so I came back down to the little dragonfish and shot some video. It is such a sweet fish.

I then headed for the exit. I did a safety stop and then got out in the little bay to the south-east of the point. It was a very easy exit.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

103 minutes

Maximum depth

12.1 m

Average depth

9.3 m

Water temperature

15.7°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

4:59am

1.30m

Low

10:40am

0.52m

High

5:10pm

1.71m

Low

11:54pm

0.32m