Dive Details
Location
Date
Saturday 30 January 2016
Time
8:41am - 10:17am
Details
It was a little rough around Bare Island but not too bad. I got in on the northern side of the island just to the west of the ramp. I descended to the sand and headed west towards the outboard motor. Visibility was around 5 metres.
I swam up over the ledge and along over the sand in front of the boulders to the top of the slope. I headed a little way down the slope and stopped at the rock with the purple sponge. I wanted to find the male pygmy pipehorse (IL2016012703) I'd seen on Wednesday after another diver was photographing it. I found the male and then looked for a female as I believe they are often in pairs. It wasn't long before I'd found the female (IL201601301). URG were doing a Reef Life Survey nearby so I pointed out the pygmies so they'd be included.
I swam down the slope to the rocks with the pink sea tulips and found the female (IL2015121401) on the top of the second rock. I also looked on the side of that rock and found the small female (IL2015121901) and small white male (IL2016012401).
I continued down the slope and stopped at the large white male pygmy pipehorse (IL2015081403) near the bottom of the slope. He was hiding in the sponge. I also found the other male (IL2016011905) in the gap.
I went to the bottom of the slope and around the corner to New Pygmy Rock in front of the caves. There I found the small white male pygmy pipehorse (IL2016011901), the drab female (IL2016011902) and drab male (IL2016011903. I wasn't able to find any other pygmy pipehorses on New Pygmy Rock.
I had a look around on the adjacent reef in front of the caves and found a pinkish male pygmy pipehorse (IL2016013002).
I headed back up the slope, stopping briefly at the pygmy pipehorses on the rock with pink sea tulips and the rock with the purple sponge near the top of the slope. I bumped into Duncan and Charlie near the last rock and pointed out the pygmies and a painted stinkfish.
I swam along the top of the slope and started my safety stop as I swam to the exit. I got out just to the west of the ramp. I ended up spotting 11 pygmy pipehorses, 2 short of my record from Wednesday, even though I'd found 2 new pipehorses.
Seas
Slight
Visibility
3 to 5 metres
Duration
96 minutes
Maximum depth
13.7 m
Average depth
10.5 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
1:12am
1.38m
Low
7:07am
0.64m
High
1:10pm
1.43m
Low
7:33pm
0.53m
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.
Mourning cuttlefish, Sepia plangon. 5.6 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012703). 8.2 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013001). 8.4 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015121401). 9 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015121901). 9.4 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012401). 9.3 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015121901). 9.3 m.
Common Sydney octopus, Octopus tetricus. 10.1 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015081403). 12.3 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015081403). 12.4 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011905). 12.3 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011905). 12.4 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011901). 13.2 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011902). 13.4 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011902). 13.5 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011903). 13.2 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016011901). 13.2 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (). 13.4 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013002). 13.1 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013002). 13.1 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2015121901). 9.4 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012401). 9.4 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016013001). 8.6 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2016012703). 8.7 m.
Painted stinkfish, Eocallionymus papilio. 8.2 m.
Painted stinkfish, Eocallionymus papilio. 8.2 m.
Painted stinkfish, Eocallionymus papilio. 8.3 m.