Dive Details

Location

Date

Friday 3 November 2017

Time

9:59am - 11:09am

Details

We would be getting in after high tide and so expected an outgoing tidal current. The plan was to get in at the point, descened to the wall and then head west to the rock where "Sunshine", the female pot-bellied seahorse that Mandy found, had been. Then we'd head back around the corner and end up near the orange angler above the wall.

We got in on the rocks and wade out and then swam out to the point. The surface current was quiet strong so we descended. We were quite a long way from the seahorse when we descended. The visibility was around 5 metres but the current was ridiculously strong. The water temperature was around 19°C. We turned left and swam into the current.

We battled the current for some time. I was leading the way as I knew where the seahorse was. With the current being so strong I overshot the rock but only realised when we ran out of rocks. We turned around and rode the current back until I found the correct rock. I looked all around the rock which was a task in itself because of the current. I could not find the seahorse.

I let go and drifted with the current to where Roney was. He hadn't come with us and had found an orange red-fingered angler. I took some photos and let go again.

I flew around the corner. While the visibility was still 3 to 5 metres, there was so much kelp and other algae in the water and flowing over everything it was difficult to work out where i was. Before I knew it I was at Split Rock. From Split Rock I headed back into the current to find the rock where we'd last seen the white red-fingered angler and the pygmy pipehorse that had been on it. I found the rock but couldn't find the angler. I did find a white female pygmy pipehorse which may have been the same one.

I drifted on to Slope Rock and found Dama's red male pygmy pipehorse on the adjacent rock. I then swam down to Carijoa Rock and found the grey red-fingered angler that Mike had shown me on the last dive. It was very difficult to photograph due to the current and pieces of kelp falling over it.

I swam up to the top of the wall and found the orange painted angler on its usual rock.

I then headed back into the current and up to Seahorse Rock. I had a quick look around for the seahorses and the spindle cowries but found nothing. I also looked for the little dragonfish but I could not see it. Finally, I headed up to the Capnella colonies and looked for the egg cowries. I found one that had its mantle completely contracted. I thought it might have been dead but I flipped it over and could just see some flesh.

I then headed for shallower water and started my safety stop. I headed for the little bay but ended up going too far south-east and climbed out onto the rocks.

Buddy

George Borovskis, Roney Rodrigues, Ben

Seas

Surgy

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

69 minutes

Maximum depth

13.1 m

Average depth

9.9 m

Water temperature

18.8°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

1:57am

0.27m

High

8:14am

1.71m

Low

2:27pm

0.30m

High

8:31pm

1.63m