Dive at Bare Island, La Perouse, NSW on Sunday 22 March 2015

Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 22 March 2015

Time

7:47am - 9:20am

Details

My main aim for this dive was to test out my NightSea filters for photographing fluorescence. I've had them for a few years but not used them with this camera. I also wanted to see if the pygmy pipehorses were fluorescent at all.

I got in on the northern side of the island just east of the "swimming pool", descended and swam along the reef to where the sentries had been. Neither were there which was disappointing.

I headed down the slope to the rocks with all the pink sea tulips and found the pinkish male we'd seen over the last week. I put the filters on the strobe and lens port and took some photographs but saw no evidence of fluorescence.

I then headed further down the slope to the Coscinaraea mcneilli colonies and I knew they would be fluorescent and it would be a good test of the gear. Sure enough, I could see fluorescence in the photos.

I swam around the corner to have another look for the white and the pink pygmy pipehorses but could not find them. I did find a red indianfish.

On the way back I found a hermit crab that looks like it might have some fluorescence.

I stopped again at the pink sea tulip rocks before making my way to the exit near the ramp.

After loading the photos from the dive on my computer and enhancing them I noticed there is fluorescence with the pygmy pipehorses. I just need to adjust the camera settings to get better shots.

Seas

Surgy

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

92 minutes

Maximum depth

15.9 m

Average depth

11.2 m

Water temperature

21.7°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

4:30am

0.19m

High

10:44am

1.77m

Low

4:52pm

0.24m

High

11:06pm

1.83m

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.