Dive Details
Location
Date
Sunday 9 July 2017
Time
8:17am - 10:01am
Details
The plan was to drift from The Monument to The Steps even though we'd be getting in just before high tide. We met at The Steps, geared up, walked down the stairs and walked along the shore line to The Monument. This is an easy walk and meant our cars would be at The Steps for the end of the dive (and for my next dive).
We got in right on the point and surface swam out until we were over the shallow wall and then descended. The water was so still and visibility was around 20 metres. The water temperature was a bit cold at under 17°C but, hey, I was in a dry suit. It was so nice to just float around with no surge.
We headed west for a bit before turning around and heading for the North South Wall (which I realised on the dive runs more east to west). We stopped at the large Carijoa covered rocks on the sand line on the corner. The Carijoa was covered in Phyllodesmium poindimiei nudibranchs.
We headed along the reef towards The Steps. I looked all around Four Pygmies Rock for pygmies, including the adjacent rock where I'd seen the female last Saturday but could not find any.
On my way to Split Rock I found a little pink male on a rock. I think I can find that rock again. I swam back to find Mike and he'd found a Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch. As we swam on to Split Rock I pointed out the pink pygmy to Mike.
I checked Split Rock for seahorses but found none so I headed up to the rock where the White's seahorses have been hanging out. I found the female first. She was on top of the rock for a change. I then found the male not far from her. I headed up to the Capnella to look for the Ovula costellata egg cowries. I only found one of them.
I headed back to the seahorses and met up with Mike there. I pointed out the seahorses before moving down the reef to look for pygmies. I found one cryptic male on the rock where the little red male used to be and then three others on the rock where Donna pointed out 2 last Saturday. I then found the pink male on the rock with the Carijoa. I pointed out the pygmies I saw to Mike.
I headed along the Deep Wall. I was hoping to find the black angler but didn't see it on my first pass of the rock it has been on. As I headed along its rock towards The Monument, I spotted it on the side of the rock. I pointed it out to Mike.
At the end of the wall I found the large orange red-fingered angler. It had been yawning but I missed getting a photograph of it. Mike came along and I moved off. It yawned for him and he got a great photograph.
I swam towards Block Rock and spotted a weedy seadragon on the sand. I then looked for the little orange painted angler I have been watching but it wasn't on its usual rock. Mike came up to tell me he was heading off to The Steps. I'd need to leave soon but I wanted to find the little angler. I then spotted it at the base of the rock in front of its usual rock. It was not at a good angle and I couldn't get my camera into the gap but I wasn't going to move it.
I then headed for The Steps myself. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam. I ended up catching up to Mike and we both exited at The Steps at the same time - and met up with some St George Scuba club members there: Aiden, Eddie, Bob and one other. The exit was easy.
Buddy
Mike Scotland
Seas
Slight
Visibility
15 to 20 metres
Duration
104 minutes
Maximum depth
13.2 m
Average depth
10.2 m
Water temperature
16.3°C
Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand
Tides at Botany Bay AEST
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
Low
2:35am
0.44m
High
8:26am
1.35m
Low
1:59pm
0.57m
High
8:33pm
1.81m
Camera gear
Camera
Nikon D7000
Lens
Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED
Housing
Ikelite 6801.70
Lens port
Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41
Strobe
2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161
Photographs
Depth information, where present, indicates the depth of the camera when the photograph was taken and can be used to approximate the depth of the subject.
Painted anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 11.3 m.
Red-fingered angler, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 11.9 m.
Painted anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 11.9 m.