Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 1 May 2016

Time

12:44pm - 2:20pm

Details

The bay was flat and conditions looked ideal when we jumped in at The Steps. We descended to the sand line and turned right towards The Leap. Visibility was at least 10 metres and there was almost no surge.

Shortly after turning I spotted a juvenile weedy seadragon in the kelp. A little further on John pointed out a clingfish. At the rock with the large white honeycomb sponge I started to head up to the rock where "Di" and "Mikhail" hang out. I could actually see the rock from the sand line the visibility was so good. I swam up to the rock and found "Mikhail" at the top in the sea tulips and "Di" a bit lower than him.

We swam back to the sand line and continues towards The Leap. I spotted a large Nembrotha purpureolineata. We arrived at Diversity Rock. I was somewhat troubled when I couldn't find a single seahorse. I scoured the area and eventually found "Daniel" low down on the left of the rock behind Diversity Rock where I have seen each of the boys hide at some point. I could not find "Rosie", "Arnold", or "Noel". This was very worrying. Where could they be? I then had a look for pygmy pipehorses on Diversity Rock. I found none. John pointed out a small giant cuttlefish in the kelp below Diversity Rock.

We continued on our way past the basket star. I was looking for pygmy pipehorses along the way. While I was checking High Pygmy Rock, John called me down to point out a cool nudibranch hanging under a rock. A little further he pointed out another cool nudibranch. I then spotted a purple Ceratosoma brevicaudatum.

At Big Rock I looked around the base and in the caves for the ornate ghostpipefish I'd seen two weeks ago but could not see it. We swam on and I spotted another weedy seadragon. John pointed out the little overhang he thought he'd seen a ornate ghostpipefish but all I could see was an upside-down pipefish - which is what he'd been seeing. We swam as far as Seadragon Alley before turning and heading back towards The Steps.

We stopped at the overhang and I saw the upside-down pipefish again. We had a look on Big Rock for pygmy pipehorses. We then swam past the Ceratosoma brevicaudatum and then up to High Pygmy Rock for another look for pygmies. Just past High Pygmy Rock I spotted a Sufflamen triggerfish.

Back at Diversity Rock I did another sweep looking for the seahorses. I eventually found "Rosie", "Arnold", and "Noel" together in a sponge low down on the rock behind Diversity Rock. I must remember that spot next time any appear to be missing. Greatly relieved I thought I'd have one more look for pygmy pipehorses on Diversity Rock. To my excitement I spotted one near the top in one of the Carijoa colonies.

We were both low on air and so headed towards The Steps going via the other two seahorses, who had both moved in the hour or so we'd been away. I headed for the boulders and spotted another weedy seadragon in the kelp on the way. I did my safety stop and surfaced out from The Steps where I bumped into Charlie and Duncan about to start a Reef Life Survey. I exited at The Steps where John was waiting.

Buddy

John Farrant

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

96 minutes

Maximum depth

15.8 m

Average depth

12.1 m

Water temperature

18.4°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

2:40am

1.58m

Low

9:29am

0.51m

High

3:43pm

1.38m

Low

9:28pm

0.71m