Dive Details
Location
Logged dive number
1856
Date
Monday 28 December 2020
Time
7:40am - 9:44am
Buddy
John Mckeon
Seas
Slight current and some surge
Visibility
10 to 15 metres
Duration
123 minutes
Surface interval
Maximum depth
14.5 m
Average depth
11.8 m
Water temperature
18.5°C
Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand
Tides at Botany Bay AEDT
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
Low
1:24am
0.54m
High
8:00am
1.68m
Low
2:41pm
0.46m
High
8:28pm
1.27m
Details
I didn’t have any trouble getting in to the park today and Daniela, Paula, and George were at The Steps when I arrived. John Mckeon arrived just after me.
I got ready quickly so I could join the others and I walked down just after them. Just as I was about to put my mask on I noticed the inflator hose was not connected. I connected it with Paula’s help but then couldn’t find my mask. I’d just had it in my hand. The only explanation was it had been washed by a wave. John lent me his mask and I jumped in to look for it. I found it between the main rock and one of the rocks to the left.
By the time I’d gotten ready after the mask mishap, the others were already out on the surface, only John was with me. John and I got in and swam out on the surface. I told John that I had a larger tank so to just let me know when he was heading back.
We descended to the sand. John was just out of range although I could see the other three clearly. The visibility was over 10 metres so I’m not sure why I couldn’t see John. There was no current and just a bit of surge. The water temperature was around 19°.
I headed towards the sand line and looked in the kelp for Nadiah, Phil, or any Weedy Seadragons. I found none by the time I got to Jodi’s Rock.
I continued along the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. The hole was full of mysids but I spotted a pair of Sawtooth Pipefish at the entrance. As soon as my lights hit them they swam off into the hole. I tried to get photographs of one of them but the mysids made that impossible.
I spotted John above me and headed towards Lily’s Rock. George was there taking photographs. He swam off and I spotted Tom Thumb and Lily. Tom Thumb’s pouch has been swollen yesterday but it was now deflated. He must have given birth some time after we saw him yesterday.
I headed towards the sand line and then along towards Little Big Rock. George was just in front of me. I’d told him about the grey Red-fingered Anglerfish before the dive and I assumed he’d seen it. I called out to him and asked if he’d seen it. He hadn’t so I showed it to him.
I continued towards Little Big Rock. I was checking out the rocks for pygmies when I spotted a pink male. I looked for and found the female. I showed them to John and told George there were pygmies. I don’t think he wanted to wait for John so he swam to the seahorses.
I looked for the male Weedy Seadragon with eggs near Little Big Rock. He was in the same spot as yesterday. As I was photographing the Weedy I noticed George was photographing Bernie. I hoped John would not see.
I swam up to Skye’s Rock and started to look for the seahorses. Tiny Tim was in the grey sponge on the lower rock. Little Richard was in the sea tulips on the south eastern corner. Helen was on a sea tulip a little way around. I photographed them.
John swam on past and was heading towards the basket star. I used the opportunity to take a couple of sneaky photographs of Bernie.
I headed down to the Big Rock side of Little Big Rock to look for the Weedy I’d seen there yesterday. It was not there. I headed a short way along the sand line and spotted it.
I started to look for pygmies on the rocks and spotted another pair. While I was photographing them, John swam back and I pointed them out to him.
I continued towards the basket star and checked out the rocks along the way, hoping to find more pygmies. I visited the basket star before continuing.
I headed to the rock where the four pygmies used to be and passed the Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch on the way. When I got to the rock (where the four pygmies had been), George was at the next rock. I’d told him I’d seen a white pygmy there yesterday. He indicated there were two before swimming off. Sure enough I saw two small white pygmies. I took photographs of them as John swam up. I pointed them out to him and then started to look on the other rock. I couldn't see the large rainbow male. I also couldn’t see the small grey male I’d found on Saturday. I did manage to find the dark female which I pointed out to John while I continued to look for the other two.
I headed along the reef towards Big Rock. I stopped at the rock where I’d found a new pair of pygmies yesterday and found them again. I took some photographs and pointed them out to John who had just swum up.
I continued along the reef. I found the rock where I’d seen Ash yesterday but they were not there. I looked around the nearby rocks but could not see them.
I kept going to the rock before Long Rock. I looked for the whitish male pygmy in the spot I’d seen him yesterday but he wasn’t there. I looked around the rock but could not find him. I found the pinkish female but could not find the male. I pointed the female out to John.
We moved on the Long Rock. I looked for pygmies in the spots I’ve seen them before but found none.
We turned and headed back along the reef. I looked for pygmies along the way, and also for Ash. I stopped at the rock where I’d found the pair of pygmies yesterday but this time I could only find the male.
I continued to the rock with the pair of white pygmies and took some more photographs. I again looked for the pygmies on the next rock but still could only find the dark female.
We headed towards the shore. I wanted to look for the male Weedy Seadragon with eggs. He mysteriously disappeared yesterday and I wanted to look a little further afield. He wasn’t back in his usual spot so I looked around but had no joy. I headed a bit further towards the shore. John spotted a Crested Horn Shark and pointed it out to me.
We headed back via the basket star. Just after the basket star John indicated he was leaving so I continued alone.
I swam past Diversity Rock and on to the rock I’d found a pair of pygmies earlier in the dive. I remembered the rock but not where on the rock, which was quite large, they were. I started to search and spotted a tiny juvenile pygmy. I was pretty sure this was smaller than the other pair. I kept searching and eventually found the pair almost a metre from the tiny juvenile. I then went back to find the tiny juvenile and found a sea spider. I also found the juvenile. Hopefully I’ll be able to find all three tomorrow.
I swam on to Skye’s Rock. I took some more photographs of the seahorses. After checking that no one else was around I also took some photographs of Bernie.
I headed to the sand line to make sure I could find the first pair of pygmy pipehorses I’d spotted earlier. I found the rock and then found the pink male. After a bit of searching I found the female. I should be able to find them again tomorrow. I also visited the grey Red-fingered Anglerfish.
I headed up to Lily’s Rock. I could not see either seahorse. I looked in the kelp on the rock and spotted Lily. I could not find Tom Thumb.
I headed back down to Pipefishes Hole. I was hopeful the Sawtooth Pipefish might be out again. They weren’t and I couldn’t see them in the hole.
I swam along the sand line past Jodi’s Rock and along to the kelp on the sand line out from the entry/exit. I
Looked for Nadiah or Phil but could not see them.
I headed over to Baby’s location and looked in the kelp. I could not see them. I looked for a bit before heading back to look for seahorses and Weedies.
I looked in the kelp some more and spotted a male Weedy with the remnants of eggs. I searched some more kelp closer to the sand line and found the Weedy I call smudge.
I checked out a lot more kelp and finally spotted Nadiah. I took some photographs and hit 40 bar so headed for the boulders.
I ascended to Split Rock and started my safety stop. I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit. The exit was easy.