Dive Details

Location

Date

29 November, 2013

Time

7:33pm - 9:08pm

Details

This was our first trip to this site so we weren't sure what to expect. We got in at the beach on the left side of the baths area and waded out along the wall to the nets. We then swam along the nets to the other side. I was hoping to find some seahorses but didn't see a single one.

After reaching the other end we came back along the sand in from the nets. There was a small amount of surge that was kicking up the sand from the bottom. This was worst near the nets but there were also patches of accumulated debris that it was even worse.

Sheree spotted a blue-line octopus and we watched it as it half swam and half crawled across the bottom, battling the surge. Photographing it was a bit difficult due to the sand in the water column.

Sheree was a bit cold and so headed back to the beach. I made another pass close to the nets and when I hit the rocks at the western end, headed back towards the beach just in from the rocks. On the way I came across a hammer octopus partially buried in the sand. While I was photographing it, a numb ray came at me. Not sure if it was confused by the lights or what, but I had to swim quickly to get out of its way.

In the shallows, I came across a southern calamri squid that "wanted" to play. I managed to get a couple of good shots of it.

I exited at the beach next to the rocks. I was happy to see the blue-lined octopus but somewhat disappointed to not see any striped pyjama squid.

Buddy

Sheree Papuni

Seas

Slight surge

Visibility

2 metres

Duration

90 minutes

Maximum depth

2.3 m

Average depth

1.7 m

Water temperature

18.8°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

5:56am

1.49m

Low

12:14pm

0.55m

High

6:06pm

1.37m

Camera gear

Camera

Nikon D7000

Lens

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D

Housing

Ikelite 6801.70

Lens port

Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41

Strobe

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161

Photographs

Depth information, where present, indicates the depth of the camera when the photograph was taken and can be used to approximate the depth of the subject.

Red gurnard, Chelidonichthys kuma. 2 m.
 

Mourning cuttlefish, Sepia plangon. 2 m.
 

Blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata. 1.9 m.
 

Blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata. 1.8 m.
 

Blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata. 1.8 m.
 

Blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata. 1.8 m.
 

Blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata. 1.8 m.
 

Pygmy leatherjacket, Brachaluteres jacksonianus. 1.7 m.
 

Hammer octopus, Octopus australis. 1.2 m.
 

Southern calamari squid, Sepioteuthis australis. 0.7 m.
 

Southern calamari squid, Sepioteuthis australis. 0.7 m.
 

Southern calamari squid, Sepioteuthis australis. 0.7 m.