Dive Details

Location

Date

Monday 22 May 2017

Time

9:56am - 11:10am

Details

The water around Bare Island was a lot rougher than I was expecting this morning. The swell was coming around the point to the northern side of the island. Entry and exit would be a little challenging and it was probably going to be surgy. Heather was desperate for a dive so we chanced it.

We got in on the northern side of the island just to the west of the boat ramp. We had to time it so there weren't any waves coming in and it was actually much easier than it looked like it would be. We surface swam for a bit and then descended to the sand. I was surprised that the visibility was at least 3 metres despite the surge. Water temperature was around 19°C and there was a lot of surge.

We swam to the outboard motor and up over the ledge. It was tough going at times due to the surge. I kept and eye out for pygmy pipehorses although I doubt I could have taken photos if I'd found any. We swam down the slope and I checked out a number of rocks for pygmies on the way down. I was hoping that as we got more depth the surge would decrease but if anything it seemed to get worse.

At Juvy Rock I was looking for pygmy pipehorses when I came across the female great seahorse, Hippocampus kelloggi. It was good to see her again as I'd last seen her 3 months ago. I then went on a hunt for the male in some of his usual spots. I eventually made my way back to Juvy Rock only to find the male on a sponge less than 50 centimetres from the female. He's looking pregnant so hopefully we'll get some babies.

I'd lost Heather and Steve by this point and headed to the corner hoping the surge would be less. It wasn't, but surprisingly, visibility was nearly 5 metres.

I came back via Juvy Rock and the seahorses and slowly made my way up the slope. At Pygmy Rock, Heather and Steve swam up and we continued up the slope together. We swam across the slope and I started my safety stop just before the outboard motor. I finished it off from the exit point and we exited where we got in.

Buddy

Heather Sutton, Steve Walsh

Seas

Choppy and surgy

Visibility

2 to 5 metres

Duration

73 minutes

Maximum depth

13.2 m

Average depth

9.7 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

4:48am

1.60m

Low

11:10am

0.42m

High

5:33pm

1.66m

Low

11:43pm

0.54m