Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 25 July 2015

Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 25 July 2015

Time

1:35pm - 3:01pm

Details

I decided to a second dive to look for "Rosie" because I couldn't find her on the first dive. As she was near The Steps I only needed to dive there. As I got to the water at The Steps, Di and Noel Conlon were just getting out so I had a quick chat with them. They had not only seen "Rosie" but also a small juvenile seahorse and a Miamira magnifica nudibranch. I had lots to look for.

I jumped in at The Steps and descended to the sand line. I turned towards The Leap and swam through the kelp. I encountered a weedy seadragon I recognised because he had no appendages on his head. He also had eggs. I have seen him since the start of the year and last saw him in May.

Just up from the sand line I saw another weedy, this time a female (I think). I first saw her at the end of 2014 and last saw her near the deeper basket star in April.

I stayed up off the sand line in my quest to find "Rosie" when I stumbled on the tiny juvenile pot-bellied seahorse, now called "Di". I think she's the smallest one I have seen so far.

After seeing "Di", I realised I'd probably see the Miamira magnifica quite soon if I stayed on my current path. Sure enough, a little further along, there it was crawling across a rock.

I still had to find "Rosie" and I arrived at the area that I was pretty sure I'd seen her and looked and looked but could not find her. I was even pretty sure I had located the exact rock I'd seen her on yesterday.

I decided to go to the pygmy pipehorse and look for "Rosie" on the way back. I found the pygmy pipehorse quickly as I now recognise its rock. I made my way back via the deeper basket star and continued along the sand line. I was surprised to see "Rosie" on a rock close to and facing the sand line. This was some distance from where I remembered she'd been yesterday, but then it may have been my memory.

I headed back to The Steps via the M. magnifica only it wasn't on the rock I'd just seen it. After a quick hunt around I saw it crawling across the sand heading towards the shore.

I then swam on to where I'd seen "Di" and she was still there. I memorised the area so I could find her again.

I swam to the boulders for my safety stop and exited at The Steps. Another fabulous dive.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 metres

Duration

86 minutes

Maximum depth

14.4 m

Average depth

10.8 m

Water temperature

16.2°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

2:14am

1.28m

Low

8:30am

0.60m

High

3:10pm

1.46m

Low

9:38pm

0.73m

Camera gear

Camera

Nikon D300

Lens

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D

Housing

Ikelite 6812.3

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.