Dive at The Leap, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 30 May 2015

Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 30 May 2015

Time

1:22pm - 2:36pm

Details

The swell had died down a lot since Tuesday and it was quite calm at The Leap. The occasional wave would just lap over the low platform so I was able to get in there. Visibility at the entry point was around 5 metres but there was a lot of surge.

I descended and headed towards the sand line at around 60°. I hit the sand line at the south eastern end of the amphitheatre. The visibility here was around 10 metres and there was almost no surge. The incoming tidal current was quite strong.

I swam to Pygmy Rock and started looking for the pygmy pipehorse I'd seen on Tuesday, starting in the same area I'd seen it then. After searching for nearly 15 minutes I was just about to give it up as a lost cause when I spotted a small one on top of the rock. I'm not sure if it is the same one. I sort of hope it is as it will be nice to watch one grow up.

I headed on towards Seahorse Rock. Along the way I saw a weedy seadragon at the sand line. This was one I have seen a number of times since December last year.

I continued on to Seahorse Rock. I briefly checked out Seahorse Rock before swimming on to the rock where "Pierre", the pot-bellied seahorse, now resides. I found him almost immediately as he hadn't moved since Tuesday.

I swam on past the rock where "Southern Cross" used to live and found another weedy seadragon before I reached Seadragon Alley. This was a male I have seen numerous times since March last year.

I continued to Seadragon Alley where I saw three more weedy seadragons. The first I have seen a few times since January this year, the second was a male I have seen numerous times since September last year, and the third was the one with a wavy body that has been around since at least March last year.

I followed the sand line to the basket star which I was able to find this time. It is back on the finger sponge. Just near the basket star I saw another weedy seadragon, the seventh for the dive. This was one I first saw in Seadragon Alley in September last year but more recently I have seen it closer to The Steps.

At this point I cut up over the reef and headed slowly to the boulders. Once I got to the boulders I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to and just past the Plesiastrea colonies. After 5 minutes I swam to the exit at The Steps and got out.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 metres

Duration

74 minutes

Maximum depth

21.7 m

Average depth

16.1 m

Water temperature

18.9°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

5:42am

1.41m

Low

11:43am

0.55m

High

6:16pm

1.64m

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.