Dive Details

Location

Date

Wednesday 11 January 2017

Time

10:54am - 12:24pm

Details

We jumped in on the northern side of the island to the west of the ramp and surface swam past the outboard motor. When we descended we were already on the sand in front of the boulders. Visibility was at least 5 metres.

We swam to the top of the slope but didn't follow it down instead staying at around 8 metres and following the rocks to the corner. Just before the corner we dropped down the the reef and started checking out the rocks. We went around the corner and looked all around the reef to the west. We went as far as the Isolated Reef and back.

We swam back towards the cave along the lower reef parallel to the wall. Kim pointed out the Volva volva cowrie which had moved rocks.

We slowly moved around the corner to the bottom of the slope and started looking for the great seahorses. I looked in all the spots I'd seen them previously but they were not there. I eventually found the male in some kelp on one of the isolated rocks away from the wall. While looking around the area I found a red indianfish. I assume it is the same one that's been in that area recently. We were not able to find the female great seahorse.

We headed up the slope and I found the female pygmy pipehorse I've seen a few times at the very top end of the rocks above Pygmy Rock. While I was looking for the male I spotted a tiny juvenile. Kim and Donna went ahead while I took photos of the pygmies. I caught up to them a little farther up the slope where Donna had found a slender seamoth. This was the first one I'd seen on a day dive.

I was running low on air so I headed to the top of the slope and started my safety stop while swimming to the exit. I got out where we got in and waited for Kim and Donna.

Buddy

Kim Dinh, Donna Cassidy

Seas

Calm

Visibility

5 metres

Duration

89 minutes

Maximum depth

15.4 m

Average depth

11.4 m

Water temperature

16.9°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

1:29am

0.36m

High

8:00am

1.93m

Low

2:41pm

0.22m

High

8:38pm

1.46m