Today was my only opportunity to dive this weekend (and the week) due to work and other commitments. I wanted to make the most of it and dive The Leap. Conditions were calm and the tides were right.
I got it from the low platform and swam out on the surface, The visibility was well over 5 metres at the surface. I descended and swam at around 30° towards the sand line. I swam through the amphitheatre and hit the sand line near Bob and Lucy Rock. The visibility was 10 to 15 metres and the water temperature was around 15°C. There was not much current or surge. I turned left and headed for The Steps.
Just before Ian's Pygmy Rock I found a weedy seadragon on the sand. I found another just after that rock.
I swam past Seahorse Rock and on to the flat rocks with sponges. I found a male weedy seadragon with eggs under the overhang. There was another nearby on the sand between the two rocks. I swam up to the cowrie and pygmy pipehorses as Roney and Mark swam by. I found the cowrie and both pygmy pipehorses (IL2018080101, IL2018080102) and pointed them out to Mark.
I continued along the sand line past Southern Cross Rock and on to Seadragon Alley. I found a female weedy seadragon and then the male with eggs. A lot of his eggs were gone but I couldn't tell if they'd hatched or had been eaten. I then found the juvenile weedy seadragon. It has grown so much since I first saw it in March.
Just after the end of Seadragon Alley I looked for the pair of red Stigmatopora pipefish. They weren't in their usual algae. I looked a little farther along the rock and found them together in the next alga. There was a bit of surge and they were moving around a lot.
As I finished photographing the pipefish and started on my way towards Big Rock a 1.5-2 metre female grey nurse shark was swimming towards me. I must have spooked her as she slowly turned and swam away. She was not swimming all that quickly and it took a while before she was out of sight.
I swam along the sand line to Big Rock. I looked around after Big Rock for the pygmy pipehorse Roney told me about but I wasn't able to find it. There were just too many rocks that fitted his description.
I headed up to the rock with the one-eyed seahorse and found her on the northern face of the rock.
I swam along the reef looking for anglerfishes, past the basket star and on to Diversity Rock. Just below Diversity Rock I spotted a male weedy seadragon with eggs. I think it is the same one that was between Diversity Rock and Little Big Rock. I looked on Diversity Rock for the young male pygmy pipehorse (IL2018062701) and found him in the snot algae. I found my juvenile painted anglerfish on the adjacent rock.
I swam along the sand line to Little Big Rock. I looked on the rock before Little Big Rock for the pygmy pipehorses. I found the male (IL2018072501) first and after a bit of searching I found the female (IL2018072502).
I searched all around Little Big Rock and up to the rocks behind it looking for the salmon and yellow red-fingered anglerfish. I found neither. On the big rock behind Little Big Rock I found the two pygmy pipehorses. I found the male (IL2018072002) first. The female (IL2018072001) was a little harder to find but I found her.
As I was swimming towards Di's Rock I spotted another weedy seadragon. This was the ninth for the dive.
I looked on the rock near Di's Rock for the pygmy pipehorses. I found the female (IL2018061401) in the same spot I saw it last weekend. I had a quick look for the male but couldn't find it. There's so much snot algae over everything.
I swam on to the orange red-fingered anglerfish which was still in its usual spot. I then headed 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 underwater to the exit. |
