Dive Details

Location

Date

Friday 26 January 2018

Time

12:44pm - 2:19pm

Details

The water conditions at The Steps were quite calm so entry and exit would be easy. There was a slight easterly swell, like yesterday, so the visibility might not be all that great.

I got in at The Steps and swam out before descending to the sand line. I swam through the kelp to the sand line. Visibility was between 3 and 5 metres and there was a gentle surge. The water temperature was around 20°C and the tidal current was not all that strong. I turned right and headed towards Big Rock.

I swam up a but from the sand line and checked out the rocks for anglerfishes and pygmy pipehorses. I came back to the sand line as I approached the area where the red Stigmatopora pipefish used to be. I checked out the red algae on the way. I checked their alga and they haven't returned.

I followed the sand line to the area where the yellow red-fingered anglerfish has been. I found it on the side of the rock. I realise now it is not the same anglerfish that was in the green sponge although the one that was in the green sponge was on the same rock a few days ago.

I made my way to Little Big Rock and checked out all the rocks on the way for the missing anglerfishes. On the rock behind Little Big Rock I found the female pygmy pipehorse. I looked for the male but couldn't find him. I then checked out Little Big Rock for pygmy pipehorses.

I went a little farther along to the rock I found the red male pygmy pipehorse yesterday. He was still there. I looked around and found his partner. She was quite cryptic and I was lucky to find her.

I swam via Diversity Rock and then up onto the sand to the single red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish. It was in its usual alga. I then checked on the basket star before continuing on towards Big Rock.

I stopped at the rock with the new pygmies I'd found last Sunday. I found the male first and initially couldn't find the female as she'd moved to the other side of the rock from yesterday.

I swam on to Big Rock and found the black painted angler on the substrate below the rock below Hand Rock. On Big Rock I found the green male pygmy pipehorse near the single sea tulip. He's very pregnant.

I continued past Big Rock to the rock with the four pygmies. I found the large red male in his usual spot. I then found one of the juveniles on the other side of the rock.

I swam towards The Leap to the area where "Nina", the great seahorse, has been. I looked on her usual rock but could not find her. I looked around all the adjacent rocks and still couldn't find her. I checked out the alga where I saw two red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish on Wednesday and was surprised to find three. There was a larger bright red one and two smaller ones, one a bit duller and the other much duller. The two smaller ones were hanging out together. I had another look around for "Nina", before turning and heading back to The Steps.

I stopped by the rock that had 4 pygmies and found the two I'd found earlier, plus a third one.

I swam past Big Rock and on to the two newer pygmies. They were both where they had been earlier.

I continued all the way to Diversity Rock and stopped at the red male pygmy pipehorse between Diversity Rock and Little Big Rock.

I was getting low on air so I made a bee line to the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and then swam to the exit.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

95 minutes

Maximum depth

16.4 m

Average depth

11.7 m

Water temperature

18.6°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides

High

4:00am

1.49m

Low

10:18am

0.60m

High

4:15pm

1.31m

Low

10:28pm

0.48m