Conditions had been so good over the last couple of days I wanted to do a second dive. Not only was the visibility great but the water temperature had been comfortable. I couldn't talk Mike into a second dive so I went on my own. I decided on The Steps because it was easy and I'd only dived here once this year so far.
I got in at The Steps and after swimming out descended to the sand line. Visibility was over 10 metres and the water temperature was over 20°C. There was basically no surge and also no current as it was less than 20 minutes to high tide. I turned right and headed towards Big Rock.
Before I got in a fellow diver had mentioned seeing a tiny juvenile weedy in the kelp near the entrance so I looked through the kelp but I could not find it. I did find a male weedy seadragon with eggs. His eggs were quite old and had some algae on them but I couldn't see any hatchlings or even see any eyes in the eggs.
I came to the pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish and they were both in their usual alga.
I headed up from the sand line to go to the large orange red-fingered anglerfish in the green sponge. On the way I spotted another weedy seadragon. The anglerfish was still in the green sponge.
I swam closer to Little Big Rock to the the rock where the other anglers had been and looked for the pygmy pipehorses. I found the female but was not able to find the male. She was hiding under an ascidian.
I headed towards New Basket Star Rock and looked in the alga on the sand for the now lone red pipefish. It was still there. I'm down to only 4 of these pipefish now that one of the pair near the great seahorse has disappeared.
I swam past the basket star and on towards Big Rock. I found the black painted anglerfish on the rock below Hand Rock and then the white/pink anglerfish on the rock it had moved to recently.
On Big Rock I found the greenish male pygmy and his partner near the single sea tulip. I looked for the two pygmies low down on Big Rock but I fear they are now gone.
I swam on past Big Rock to the rock with the four pygmy pipehorses. I found one of the juvenile pgymies first and then the red male. I then found the other juvenile. I looked around and was not able to find the female.
I didn't go to see the red pipefish or great seahorse as I'd only just seen them on the previous dive. The tide had also turned so I'd have a head current to swim against on my way back. I swam back to Big Rock and the two pygmy pipehorses on top near the single sea tulip. I also had another look for the two pygmies low down on Big Rock. I checked out the white/pink red-fingered anglerfish and also the black painted anglerfish before heading back towards The Steps.
I swam past the basket star and on to the single red pipefish on the sand. I swam on to Little Big Rock and then the large orange red-fingered anglerfish before heading for the boulders. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and swam right to the exit. It was an easy exit. |
