I was working today and had family commitments tomorrow so I had to squeeze an early dive in at Bare Island before going in to work. Conditions were not ideal with both southerly and easterly swells.
I got in on the northern side of the island near Carol's plaque. The entry was very easy even though there were small waves coming around the point. I descended straight away to get out of the chop on the surface. The visibility was around 3 metres which was quite good considering the conditions. The water temperature was a very pleasant 22°C. There was quite a bit of surge but it was manageable.
I swam to the outboard motor and then up over the ledge and along the sand in front of the boulders. I then swam down the slope. I was looking for pygmy pipehorses along the way. I had a good look on Juvy Rock and some of the other places I've seen them.
I eventually got to the rock where the pair of white pygmy pipehorses had been for some time in 2016. I found a large white male pygmy pipehorse there. I looked around for a female and found a yellowish one. It looks very much like the one I saw on the same rock 2 months ago (the last time I dived at Bare Island).
I swam east for a bit to look around the area where the great seahorses used to be. I then headed west but must have headed a bit more north than I realised as I missed the reef and ended up on sand. I turned south until I hit the caves just near New Pygmy Rock. I spotted a male pygmy pipehorse right in front of the caves. I looked around for a female and found one a few centimetres away.
I headed back to the slope and past the first two pygmies I'd seen. As I arrived at Juvy Rock, Vicki and Ricky were swimming the other way. I told them I'd seen 4 pygmies and Vicki asked me to show her so I took them back to the large white one and his yellowish partner. I was going to show them the other two but they were happy with those ones.
I bed them goodbye and headed back up the slope, again looking for pygmies as I went. I got the rock above Pygmy Rock and spotted a female pygmy on the other side from where I usually see them. I looked around for a male and found one a few centimetres away. I was very pleased to have found 6 pygmies when I haven't been to Bare in 2 months.
I continued up the slope, across in front of the boulders to the outboard motor. I started my safety stop. I continued over the sand to off from the exit and stopped until I finished my safety stop. I then swam to the exit. The tide had risen considerably and I had trouble because the water straight out from the exit was slightly deeper than me and the waves and undertow kept dragging me out as I approached the exit. I edge my way west until I could stand and then used a small wave to take me onto the rocks. I got one fin off and walked out of the water with the other fin still on. Vicki and Ricky came up the ramp on their hands and knees so I helped them get their fins off. |
