Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 7 May 2017

Time

9:47am - 11:19am

Details

We weren't expecting much as we were getting in around 3 hours before low tide, however, as conditions had been so good for the week we were hopeful they would hold up for this dive. We waded out through the little bay around the corner from the flagpoles. The surface visibility wasn't too bad but we hoped it would improve after we descended.

We descended and swam to the reef, arriving just above the sponge garden. Visibility was over 5 metres, it was around 20°C, and there was no surge. We turned left and headed for the rock with the seahorses.

I found the female seahorse straight away and she was low down on the side of the rock. We looked around for the male as well as for an ornate ghostpipefish that had been seen last night near the rock. Eventually, Dama found the male on top of the rock hiding between the sponges and Capnella colonies. We didn't find the ornate ghostpipefish.

We continued towards the point. I wanted to go check out the rock where the group of four pygmy pipehorses had been. Along the way I looked for pygmies but found none until I got to the Group of Four Rock. I immediately spotted a male in the red sponge. I then looked around and found two cryptic females. I showed them all the Dama.

We turned and headed back towards The Steps. Along the way I found 2 small pygmies on different rocks. I got to the rock where I'd previously found one red male, 2 cryptic males and a cryptic female pygmy pipehorses. I couldn't immediately find the male but after a bit of searching I found him hiding with just his snout sticking out. I think I would have missed him if I wasn't specifically looking for him. Just then Dama called me to a rock a bit higher up the reef. I figured I could find this guy again so I went to see what she found. She pointed out a large grey red-fingered angler. She's so good at finding anglers.

I went back to find the little red pygmy again. It took me a little while but I eventually found him. I then found a larger cryptic male. I showed them both to Dama. I had a quick look for other pygmies but found none.

I moved down to the Carijoa covered rock on the sand line. I found the dark pink male pygmy almost straight away. I looked for others but couldn't see any. I showed the male to Dama.

I headed to the start of the wall and looked on the low rock. I found the little red male pygmy almost straight away but couldn't find the little female. Dama called me back to show me a nudibranch she'd found.

We went back to the low rock and I pointed out the red male to Dama and she went on along the wall. I then spotted the female pygmy.

I caught up to Dama and she'd found a little black painted angler at the base of the rock where I've seen seahorses in the past. I also looked for the orange red-fingered angler we'd seen on the other end of the same rock.

Dama then pointed out a small ornate ghostpipefish she'd found. It was low down between the rock and the wall.

At this point I was very low on air so I let Dama know I had to leave and headed for the exit. I did my safety stop along the way and got out on the rocks just to the north of the little bay.

Buddy

Dama Rodrigues

Seas

Calm

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

92 minutes

Maximum depth

12.2 m

Average depth

9.9 m

Water temperature

18.6°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

5:48am

1.55m

Low

12:05pm

0.49m

High

6:28pm

1.60m