Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1865

Date

Saturday 16 January 2021

Time

8:44am - 11:07am

Seas

Strong current and surge an times

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

143 minutes

Surface interval

 5 days 23:22 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

22.2 m

Average depth

15.3 m

Water temperature

18.0°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

4:59am

0.51m

High

11:29am

1.83m

Low

6:10pm

0.34m

Details

Today I would dive The Leap with my twin 10.5L tanks. My aim was to do a nice steady dive of 2 to 2.5 hours. I had heard reports of good visibility so I was optimistic.

I took my tanks and weights down first. On each trip the entry looked relatively calm. I would probably be able to use the low platform. On my last trip down in my drysuit (half done up) and with my camera, there were some quite large waves hitting the entry and water was flowing over the shelf. I geared up and in that time it got calm again and I was able to get in from the low platform.

I swam out on the surface. The visibility did not look all that good. I descended and headed towards the sand line at around 60°. The current was quite strong and I can to keep correcting my bearing. I must have over corrected as I ended up near Pygmy Rock. The visibility was barely 5 metres, if even that. It was quite green and there was a lot of particulate matter in the water. The water temperature was around 19°C. The current was strong and there was quite a bit of surge.

I turned left and headed towards The Steps. As I arrived in the amphitheatre I spotted a Weedy Seadragon on the sand. They were in a difficult spot to get head shots. I hope the shots will be okay for identification purposes.

I continued along the sand line and was surprised to spot a large juvenile Weedy Seadragon. I wonder if this was the one that PJ had spoken about.

I drifted with the current to Bob & Lucy Rock. I looked at the end of the rock for the pygmies I have been seeing there. On the last dive I found 4, an adult pair and two juveniles. Today I could only find an adult male. The surge and current made photography difficult.

I moved on a couple of rocks and looked for the pair of pygmies on that rock. Again, I was only able to find the male. I did spot a sea spider on the same rock while I was looking for other pygmies.

I headed along the sand line and came on a Weedy Seadragon. They were one I have seen before.

I continued along the sand line and noticed a couple of divers ahead of me. They must have gotten in after me but cut the corner to some extent. One was carrying a portable sun and kept pointing it at me so I could barely see. He pointed out a Weedy (which I would have seen anyway).

I drifted past Seahorse Rock and on to Rosie's Rock. I looked for the two pygmies there and only spotted the pink female. I could not find the pink male which had been lilac at one point. I then noticed a smaller male. He must have replaced the larger pink male.

I continued to the overhang and caught up with the divers again. The one with the portable sun blinded me again as he was pointing out a male Weedy with eggs. I don't know why people need to have such bright lights unless they are actually videoing. This guy didn't appear to have a camera. I looked for the sub-adult over by the sand line but could not find it.

I headed past Bent Stick Rock and towards Southern Cross Rock. I spotted another Weedy Seadragon along the way.

I drifted past Southern Cross Rock and on towards Seadragon Alley. Just before Seadragon Alley, portable sun guy pointed out an octopus.

I looked on the rock in Seadragon Alley for the pygmies I have been seeing there. I spotted the white male first and then his cryptic partner. I then spotted a small female who let go and landed next to a small male. I spotted the large red male, Bob, in his usual spot. I took some more photographs of the smaller pair and then looked for the pink female who is often on the side of the rock. I found her. That made 6 pygmies on this one rock.

I continued through Seadragon Alley checking out rocks as I went. I didn't find any more pygmies but I did spot a Painted Stinkfish. At the end of Seadragon Alley I spotted another Weedy Seadragon.

I followed the sand line past Big Rock and then past Long Rock. I looked on the next rock after Long Rock for the female pygmy Have been seeing there. I was surprised to find a new male. The last male had been a large white one. This guy was more cryptic and smaller. I found the female, too.

I looked on the next rock and found the large male and then the female. Since the first time I found this pair I've not had trouble finding them again.

I went to the next rock again to look for the pygmies I have seen over the last few dives. I was only able to find a small female. These pygmies have not been as reliable as the ones on the previous rock.

I continued along the reef looking on rocks where I had previously seen pygmies. There were so many I couldn't find. There was the pair below the rock where there had been a pair many months ago. I couldn't find either of them. I did find a small female on one of the rocks. I think I have seen her before.

The next pygmies I found were the white pair on the rock below where the pink pair used to be. On the rock where the pink pair used to be I found the new pink male, the new whitish male, and the large dark female.

I swam past the basket star and on to the rock where Ash had been last weekend with the large white male pygmy on the green sponge at the other end. The large white male pygmy was there. I looked for the female but could not find her. Ash was no longer at the other end of the rock. I looked on the next rock towards the shore line for the pygmies I used to see there but could not find them.

I swam to the rock behind Little Big Rock where we have been seeing 3 pygmies. It took me ages to find the first pygmy, a female. She was quite low on the rock. After much searching I found a male. I could not find a third one.

I headed over to Skye's Rock. I could not see any of the seahorse on the male rock. I started to look around there surrounding rocks. I spotted Helen a couple of rocks to the east. I then spotted Tiny Tim immediately to the east of Skye's Rock, low down, wrapped around a sponge. With a bit more searching I found Little Richard on the eastern side of Skye's Rock.

I swam down to the sand line next to Little Big Rock. I spotted a Weedy Seadragon on my way down. I headed a short way along the sand line to the rock with the pink male and whitish female pygmy pipehorses. I spotted the female first and then the male.

I continued along the sand line a short way to the male Weedy with eggs. Hopefully, he will provide us with more baby weedies.

I followed the sand line a short way further before heading up the reef to Lily's Rock. Lily hasn't been there of late but Tom Thumb has. I found him in the sea tulips low down on the sand line side of the rock.

I swam towards Pipefishes Hole and the rock above it. I spotted Cam in the sea tulips on the NW side of the rock. I found Lily in the middle of the rock. I looked in Pipefishes Hole and spotted the male Sawtooth Pipefish with eggs. As usual, the mysids made photography difficult.

I headed up to the rock before Jodi's Rock where Mandy spotted the large pink male pygmy. He was still there. I looked for others on that rock and the surrounding rocks but found none.

I swam over Jodi's Rock and spotted a Weedy Seadragon on the sand line just below the rock. It looks like a young male.

I checked over the rock where we've been seeing pygmies. After much searching I was only able to find the pink male. The large pink female was nowhere to be seen.

I swam over the kelp looking for Weedy Seadragons and seahorses. It has been ages since I found Phil and maybe longer since I last saw Nadiah. I did not find any of them.

I swam along the edge of the kelp hoping to find more Weedy Seadragons and spotted one. This made 11 for the dive.

I headed to the boulders, ascended to Split Rock and started my safety stop. When I'd finished my safety stop I swam underwater to the exit. It was quite calm and I was able to get my fins off and stand up without much trouble.