Dive Details

Location

Date

Wednesday 6 September 2017

Time

9:20am - 10:51am

Details

The timing of this dive was not all that good. High tide was 8:13am so we'd be diving with the outgoing tide. We were in the water later than planned which meant it was more than an hour after high tide before we descended.

We got in at the bay area to the south east of the point and waded out. When were were ready we descended to around 9 metres and then headed north west to Seahorse Rock. The current was quite strong and it made swimming difficult. Visibility was only around 4 metres and the water temperature was around 15°C. There wasn't much surge but the current more than made up for it.

We got to Seahorse Rock and I found the male White's seahorse. I pointed him out to the others. I also found both spindle cowries. I went out on to the sand with the hope of finding the little dragonfish which I couldn't find last time I dived at the Monument. I was pleasantly surprised to find it pottering around on the sand. I pointed it out to the others. I had a quick look for the female White's seahorse but the current made searching difficult.

I made my way up to the Capnella colonies to look for the egg cowries. Mike was already there and pointed out one. We couldn't find the other. I swam a little way to the north west to look for the leaf scorpionfish but couldn't find it. It wasn't in the spot I last saw it and I couldn't see it in the surrounding area.

We headed down the reef to the north west of Split Rock. I then drifted with the current to Split Rock and on to Slope Rock. I looked for but didn't find any pygmy pipehorses on Split Rock. I found Dama's red pygmy on the next rock. While I was there Mike and the others swam by. I called out but they didn't hear me. I looked for the other red pygmy pipehorse but couldn't find it.

I swam down to Carijoa Rock and found the pink male pretty quickly. I then found a cryptic female.

I headed up to the inside of the start of the wall and found the orange painted anglerfish. I also found one of the pygmy pipehorses on the adjacent rock.

I swam back of the wall and looked for the grey red-fingered angler. The current made looking difficult and I wasn't able to find it. I also wasn't able to find the black painted angler.

At the base of the wall I found a male weedy seadragon with the remnants of eggs in a red alga. I wonder if it is the same one I've seen in that alga before. While I was photographing it another male weedy swam up. It no longer had eggs but the underside of its tail was quite pink.

I headed towards Block Rock and looked for the little orange painted angler. I wasn't able to find it. This was the first dive to the spot since I originally saw it in May that I haven't been able to find it.

I was starting to run low on air and I decided I'd fight the current and swim back to the entry point. I swam over the wall and along behind it to the orange painted angler. I then swam up to Seahorse Rock and found the little dragonfish again before heading for the exit doing a short safety stop on the way. I got out at the bay area.

Buddy

Mike Scotland, Nicolas, Elena

Seas

Some surge, strong current

Visibility

2 to 4 metres

Duration

90 minutes

Maximum depth

12.7 m

Average depth

9.5 m

Water temperature

13.7°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

2:13am

0.29m

High

8:13am

1.47m

Low

2:01pm

0.39m

High

8:22pm

1.77m