Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 21 May 2016

Time

9:04am - 10:33am

Details

There was supposed to be a 2 metre southerly swell but the waves at the entry point were only around half a metre with the occasional set of around a metre. Entry and exit would not be a problem. As we were about to get in, Roger Lee and some others got out. They'd just come from The Leap and reported poor visibility. They said it improved closer to The Steps but it was going to be interesting.

We jumped in and, when we were all ready, descended to the sand line. We headed through the kelp and turned right towards The Leap. Visibility was maybe 3 metres but there wasn't much surge. As we moved along the sand line the visibility improved slightly. We cut up from the sand line to see "Di" and "Mikhail", the pot-bellied seahorses.

We headed back to the sand line and continued on to Diversity Rock. "Noel" was low down on a sponge on the rock behind Diversity Rock. "Daniel" and "Arnold" were huddled together on a sponge on the same rock. "Rosie" was on the low rock to the left of Diversity Rock. I also found the pygmy pipehorse on Diversity Rock.

We swam along the sand line past the basket star to Big Rock. On the way I spotted a weedy seadragon. At Big Rock I initially didn't see the ornate ghostpipefish but concentrated on looking for the black angler. I was unable to find it even with an extensive search. When I looked up from my search, Mike was photographing the ornate ghostpipefish. I went to the upside-down pipefish. It was there and I nearly got a shot of it but the sand in the water made the lens hunt and by the time it settled the pipefish was hiding.

We turned and started back to The Steps. Mike spotted a rock flathead in some kelp. I checked out High Pygmy Rock for pygmies but found none. I then headed back to Diversity Rock. The male seahorses had moved. I couldn't find the pygmy pipehorse again.

I headed towards the boulders and spotted a weedy seadragon and then swam past the other basket star on my way to the boulders. I did my safety stop as I was swimming to the line to the exit point. After finishing my safety stop I headed to the exit and saw a large giant cuttlefish swim by. I exited at The Steps. The exit was easy.

Buddy

Mike Scotland, Di & Noel Conlon

Seas

Slight with mild surge

Visibility

3 to 8 metres

Duration

88 minutes

Maximum depth

15.5 m

Average depth

12.6 m

Water temperature

20.2°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

2:02am

0.51m

High

7:54am

1.44m

Low

1:41pm

0.55m

High

8:11pm

1.77m