Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 5 November 2017

Time

8:14am - 9:54am

Details

Both the tide and the seas were high at The Leap. The low platform was being hammered so we jumped in from the shelf. With the high tide and high seas it was just a matter of timing to jump in when the waves were almost over the shelf. It was very rough on the surface so we didn't stay to long before descending. We headed at around 30° to the sand line. As we approached the sand line the visibility was amazing. It was at least 15 metres and would have looked even further if it hadn't been overcast and raining. The water temperature was nearly 20°C and there wasn't much surge. We turned left and headed towards The Steps.

I stopped at Ian's Pygmy Rock and Mike went on ahead. I looked for pygmy pipehorses but found none.

I swam past Seahorse Rock and on to the flat rocks where caught up with Mike who was photographing the male weedy seadragon with a hole in his head. He still has the remnants of his eggs. There was another male weedy nearby with fresh eggs. A little further on we came on a female.

Mike got to Southern Cross Rock before me and was photographing a pygmy pipehorse when I arrived. I waited for him to finish and then looked myself. I found 5 pygmy pipehorses: 3 males and 2 females. At the end of Southern Cross Rock there was a female weedy seadragon on the sand and then another after the next rock just before the start of Seadragon Alley.

I swam through Seadragon Alley and towards the end I came on a male weedy seadragon with eggs. His eggs were quite new although some were missing.

At the end of Seadragon Alley I came on Mike photographing the male pygmy pipehorse on the rock with the green sponges. I could see the female, too, so when Mike moved on I photographed them both.

I swam on to the red widebody pipefish as Mike was photographing the great seahorse. Both pipefish were there. I then looked around the area for the grey red-fingered anglerfish but couldn't find it. Finally I photographed the great seahorse as Mike went on ahead.

I swam along just up from the sand line towards Big Rock. I found the rock where Roney had pointed out the pygmy pipehorse a week or so ago and found it in the same spot. I looked for a female but couldn't see it.

I continued on to Big Rock. Mike was just ahead at the rock below Hand Rock. I found my red male pygmy pipehorse and his partner on the sand line side of Big Rock. At the other end I found Roney's male pygmy but could not find the female.

Mike had left by the time I got to the rock below Hand Rock. I found the black painted angler and looked around for the white red-fingered angler and pygmy pipehorses but found neither. As I was looking around a I found a red-lined bubble snail out and about.

I swam along the sand line to Old Basket Star Rock and then swam up the reef to New Basket Star Rock. I then headed along to Diversity Rock and found a male weedy seadragon with eggs amongst the rocks.

I had a quick look at Diversity Rock for pygmies but found none. I swam on to Little Big Rock and found the orange painted angler on the same rock I'd seen it yesterday. It had moved from the brown sponge.

I continued on along the sand line to the other pair of red widebody pipefish. I then looked all around the area for anglers before heading for the boulders. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while swimming to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and then stayed underwater and swam right into the exit area. I could see some big waves crashing onto the shelf but waited for the last one before surfacing and standing on the shelf while I took my fins off. A few more waves came in but I was stable enough to not get knocked over. Once I got my fins off I was able to walk out.

Buddy

Mike Scotland

Seas

Choppy on surface but calm below

Visibility

15+ metres

Duration

100 minutes

Maximum depth

21.8 m

Average depth

14.9 m

Water temperature

19.5°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

3:19am

0.26m

High

9:41am

1.89m

Low

4:06pm

0.18m

High

10:11pm

1.57m