Dive at The Leap, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 19 September 2015

Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 19 September 2015

Time

11:08am - 12:38pm

Details

I had planned to dive early today. I'd got my gear ready at The Leap and drove to The Steps to change into my dry suit. When I walked back to The Leap all my gear was gone: tank, BCD, regs, weights, fins, mask and hood. This was around 8am. Let me say I had a very empty feeling.

I had a good look around the area in case someone was playing a sick prank but my gear was no-where to be seen. There was a car parked at The Leap and I remember seeing a couple of fishermen arrive and cross the road while I was at The Steps. They were out fishing.

I walked back to The Steps and called the police to make a report. I then got changed and drove back to The Leap for another look around. I wanted to speak to the fishermen but I didn't want to leave the ute as I was feeling vulnerable. I waited...

Eventually, sometime after 10am the fishermen returned to their car. As soon as they saw me they asked me if I'd lost some gear. I said I had and they said they had it and I was very lucky. I was too gob smacked and relieved to argue with them so I just took my gear. I then decided as I was here, I'd dive but this time I'd leave the car at The Leap and walk back after the dive.

By the time I was ready to get in, the wind had come up and the entry looked really rough but not too rough. I slid down the wall and finned away from the wall as it was rough. I descended and swam at 60° to the sand line. I ended up at the amphitheatre near Pygmy Rock. Visibility was around 10 metres and there was not much surge.

I had a quick look at Pygmy Rock for pygmy pipehorses but didn't spend too long. All the action is up near The Steps and I wanted to have time for weedy seadragons, seahorses and the pygmy pipehorses I already knew. I swam along the sand line on the lookout for male seahorse that was spotted recently but did not find it.

I found my first weedy seadragon (PT2013122201) just after the rock where "Southern Cross" lived. I then found the male (PT2014051701) with lots of eggs just before Seadragon Alley. I only saw two weedies in Seadragon Alley, a large juvenile (PT2015091101) and a male (PT2014030803) without eggs.

I swam past Big Rock and on to the first lot of pygmy pipehorses. It took me a while to find the female (IL2015072601) but I was not able to find the male (IL2015070501). I suspect he's gone.

I dropped to the sand line and swam past the basket star to the seahorses. The orange red-fingered angler was still on the side of the rock. "Noel" was still in the sea tulips and "Arnold" was on the same sponge on the rock behind. The male (IL2015091101) and female (IL2015091201) pygmy pipehorses were also on the same rock and looked like they'd hardly moved since last week.

I swam off to find the Miamira magnifica nudibranch and "Rosie". I found the nudibranch on a rock towards The Leap. I found "Rosie" right down on the sand towards The Steps. I then spotted a weedy seadragon (PT2015072501) at the sand line. I went back to the nudibranch and spotted another weedy (PT2014123003) up from the sand line in the kelp. When I came back to the sand line I found yet another weedy (PT2014092001). I also noticed that the eastern frogfish was in its hole.

Before I headed on to find "Di", I wanted to check on "Rosie" and noticed she was now bouncing around on the sand. I then watched her swim up the other side of the rock and hang on. I felt a bit happier now she was attached so I swam on to "Di".

I found "Di" on her usual rock and took a few photos. As I was swimming over the rock I noticed a small male seahorse hiding in the sea tulips. I shall call him "Joseph". He was quite pregnant which suggests he's been there for at least a couple of weeks. I hope to see more of him.

I headed for the boulders and as I was swimming over the sand I saw two painted stinkfish, Eocallionymus papilio, up in the water column, spawning. Unfortunately it was all over before I could get a photograph. It was still amazing to have seen. I have seen other dragonets (mandarinfish and psychedelic dragonets) spawning but this was the first time I'd seen this species.

I continued on to the boulders and did my safety stop before exiting at The Steps. The exit was not easy due to the high tide but it was uneventful.

Seas

Choppy

Visibility

10 metres

Duration

89 minutes

Maximum depth

22.0 m

Average depth

14.3 m

Water temperature

17.7°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

5:22am

0.53m

High

11:50am

1.49m

Low

6:16pm

0.57m

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.