Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 9 March 2019

Time

9:04am - 10:37am

Seas

Some surge and current

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

93 minutes

Surface interval

 5 days 23:39 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

21.6 m

Average depth

16.2 m

Water temperature

16.7°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

4:42am

0.46m

High

10:57am

1.63m

Low

5:12pm

0.41m

High

11:20pm

1.53m

Details

I hadn't dived since last Sunday and the visibility had been poor. There had been a moderate southerly swell on Thursday and I was hopeful it would have cleared things up a bit. Today there was a north-easterly swell which I should have realised could bring some cold water in.

The swell was noticeable when I arrived but was not going to be too much for entry and exit. I didn't even bother checking The Steps as there were cars there when I drove through.

There was water over the low platform when I got in so I instead slid down the wall next to the platform. The water already felt cooler on the surface. I swam out before descending and headed at around 60° to the amphitheatre. I spotted an octopus out and about on my way. I arrived at the amphitheatre to significantly improved visibility compare to last weekend. It was over 5 metres and closer to 10. The temperature was significantly different as well. Last weekend it was around 23°C. It was now around 17°C! There was a small amount of surge.

I found my way to the first rock in Field of Pygmies with known pygmies. It was easy to find because the visibility was so good. There was a lot of kelp around and it was quite high up on all the rocks so that only the rock was visible.

I headed straight to the yellow sponge and spotted the original male pygmy (IL2018110202) next to the sponge. I then spotted female (IL2018110201) nearby. I headed to the other end of the rock and noticed that both the female (IL2018110302) and the male (IL2018110301) were next to the red sponge.

I headed to the rock above the first rock and to the end where I usually see the pygmies. I spotted the greyish female first and then the pinkish male. The greyish female was difficult to photograph.

I swam on to the large flat rock with lots of sponges. I looked for the small male pygmy I'd seen last week. I found him quite quickly. I then looked around for any others that might be there and eventually found a female. I looked over the rock for the others I have seen there but could not find any more.

I swam on towards Bob & Lucy Rock and looked on the rock before for the pair of pygmies I have seen there. I was not able to find them.

I looked on Bob & Lucy Rock and the adjacent rocks and could not find any pygmies.

I continued to Ian's Pygmy Rock. I spotted a female on the adjacent rock and the pink male and greyish female on the main rock. I looked around for the reddish male but could not see him.

I swam on towards Seahorse Rock. I found the rock where I'd spotted a new pygmy last Thursday and again last Saturday but I could not see the pygmy. The kelp was lapping at the edges of the rock so the pygmy may have been knocked off.

I headed past Seahorse Rock and on to the low flat rocks with sponges. I looked under the overhang, which had a lot of kelp, and spotted "Clyde", the Weedy Seadragon. I looked around the area for more weedies but could not find any.

I ascended to the pygmies. I found the/a new male first. The old female was on the other side of the anchor point. I looked to the right and spotted the other female and then the other male. Neither were in great spots for photography.

I was getting close to my NDL so I stayed high while I continued. I swam over Southern Cross Rock and stayed high as I swam through Seadragon Alley. I kept an eye out for weedies as I went through Seadragon Alley.

At the end of Seadragon Alley I descended a bit and looked for red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish. I looked through the usual clumps of algae but could not see any.

I headed up behind Big Rock to look for George's orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish. It was still hanging out on the underside of the rock behind Big Rock.

I had a quick look on Big Rock for pygmies before heading to Hand Rock to look for the pygmy there. I looked in the spot I'd seen it last Sunday but I couldn't see it.

I swam along the reef to Diversity Rock. I looked around for the Miamira sinuata nudibranch but could not find it. I didn't have a lot of time to search as I was running low on gas.

I swam up to the basket star and took a few photographs before looking for the white Red-Fingered Anglerfish I'd spotted last Sunday. It wasn't where I'd seen it then.

I headed for Little Big Rock and the seahorses when I bumped into George. I hadn't seen anything to point out to him so I just waved and continued. I spotted "David", the Pot-Bellied Seahorse, in the grey sponge on the rock below the large rock behind Little Big Rock. I had a quick look for "Petra" but couldn't find her. I also looked for Dama and Roney's Sawtooth Pipefish but they weren't to be seen. I'd have to do a second dive to find all the things I missed.

I swam past the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish which was still in it's original position. I looked in the pipefishes hole but could not see any of the pipefishes.

I headed past the rock where the other seahorses had been and had a quick look before heading towards the exit. I checked out the rocks for anglerfishes on the way.

I ascended to Split Rock and did my safety stop before swimming underwater to the exit. The exit was easy.