Dive at The Leap, Kurnell, NSW on Monday 10 July 2017

Dive Details

Location

Date

Monday 10 July 2017

Time

8:39am - 10:27am

Details

It was less than 30 minutes to high tide when we got in but it was so flat (and high tide was not all that high) that Mike and I had no trouble getting in from the low platform. Roney jumped in from the upper shelf as usual. We swam out and once we had grouped on the surface we descended and swam to the sand line at around 60° arriving near the Amphitheatre. Visibility was 15 to 20 metres, it was around 18°C and there was no surge. We turned left and headed towards The Steps although the current was not very strong.

I had a look in the area around Ian's Pygmy Rock for the red-fingered angler and for pygmy pipehorses but found none. The others got ahead of me as I was slow. Just before the rock before Bent Stick Rock I spotted the large juvenile weedy seadragon. I had not seen this weedy for the last few dives.

I swam on to the rock below Bent Stick Rock and looked for the Nembrotha sp. nudibranch but couldn't find it. I did fine the Ceratosoma brevicaudatum nudibranch. I was expecting to see a weedy seadragon nearby but it wasn't around.

I continued on to Southern Cross Rock and looked for the yellow male pygmy pipehorse but I could not see it in the Carijoa. Mike was just up ahead photographing two weedy seadragons that drifted down behind me. I photographed them after Mike had finished. Mike got ahead of me again.

I headed into Seadragon Alley and just before the start I spotted the Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch Roney had pointed out on Friday. I didn't see any weedies in Seadragon Alley but there were a few reaper cuttlefish.

At the end of Seadragon Alley I found the red widebody pipefish with the parasite in the same red alga its been for the last few dives. The parasite doesn't seem to have moved and I don't know if it is affecting the pipefish much.

Between Seadragon Alley and Big Rock I found another weedy and more reaper cuttlefish. At Big Rock (or just before), I located the well camouflaged red-fingered angler Mike had pointed out on Thursday. It had moved slightly but was easy to see once I put the lights on it.

I swam to the other side of Big Rock and found the small cryptic male pygmy pipehorse on the side of the rock below Hand Rock. I also found the pink male on Slope Rock.

I continued along the sand line until I saw Roney and Mike in the area around Miamira Rock. I swam up and found the grey red-fingered angler that Roney found yesterday. It had moved ever so slightly. Roney left us at this point.

I checked out the pair of red widebody pipefish in the new alga they'd moved to before swimming on to Diversity Rock. On the way I looked for the large Nembrotha purpureolineata but couldn't see it. I found both pygmy pipehorses on Diversity Rock and then both on the next large rock, including Roney's white male from yesterday.

I swam on to Little Big Rock and managed to find both pygmy pipehorses hidden in the Carijoa. I then went looking for the salmon red-finger angler on the adjacent rock. It wasn't in the same spot it was yesterday and I initially couldn't find it. I then spotted it sitting in a shell but realised the colour makes it more difficult to find than some of the others.

I headed for the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and swam to the exit, staying underwater all the way. The exit was easy.

Buddy

Mike Scotland, Roney Rodrigues

Seas

Slight

Visibility

15 to 20 metres

Duration

107 minutes

Maximum depth

21.3 m

Average depth

14.9 m

Water temperature

17.9°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

3:11am

0.42m

High

9:05am

1.36m

Low

2:37pm

0.56m

High

9:10pm

1.82m

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.