Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 9 December 2017

Time

12:09pm - 1:33pm

Details

I wasn't expecting much from the conditions when I arrived at The Steps. There had been easterly or north-easterly swells for the last week and even today's forecast was not great. I was pleasantly surprised to see very little swell hitting the entry/exit and the water looked quite clear. There were a lot of divers around and our group was quite big.

We got in at The Steps and when we were all ready we descended to the sand line. Visibility was over 5 metres and closer to 10 metres. The water was around 19°C again which was pleasant. We turned left and headed towards Big Rock.

As we swam along the sand line I was looking for the log thing that had been lying on the sand. It was my marker for the grey red-fingered angler that Ron had shown me on the 29th of November. It was gone and I ended up at the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish. I didn't stay long because with so many other divers around I didn't want to give away their location.

I swam back a bit and up the reef to look for the grey red-fingered angler. I think I found the right rock but I couldn't find the angler so I can't be sure. Without the marker I was just guessing.

I moved on and found the Nembrotha sp. nudibranch where I usually see it. I pointed it out to Brett before swimming on.

I swam on past Diversity Rock. I hadn't gone far past Diversity Rock when I spotted an eastern cleaner clingfish up in the water column. I followed it for a while until it finally settled on a sponge.

I followed the sand line to Hand Rock. I looked on the rock below Hand Rock for the white red-fingered angler but it wasn't there. As I was looking around the rock I noticed a black painted angler in a gap. It wasn't a great place for photography. I briefly contemplated moving it but thought better of it. I started to look around the area for the white red-fingered angler when a white-eared drummer swam up to the black painted angler and grabbed it by a fin, dragged it off the rock and flung it spinning into the water column. I yelled and chased the drummer away and corralled the angler back to the rock. The drummer kept coming back and looking for the angler. The others swam up and I pointed out the angler.

I swam to Big Rock and looked for the pygmy pipehorses on the top of the rock. I found the male first and then I found the female. I pointed them out to the others and then looked for my red male but I couldn't find him.

I took Mandy to see the other pygmy pipehorses 20 metres beyond Big Rock. I initially found the juvenile and then the male. I couldn't find the female.

We swam back to Big Rock. I found the female pygmy on top of Big Rock again. Brett found the white red-fingered angler on one of the rocks just above the sand line. As we were leaving to head back to The Steps, George, Paula, Wayne, Garry and Sue arrived. I showed George the black painted angler and Garry the white red-fingered angler before heading off back along the sand line.

Just past Diversity Rock I came on two weedy seadragons. I believe one was a male and the other a female. The male did not have any eggs.

I saw the two anglers: salmon red-fingered and orange painted, behind Little Big Rock again. I also saw the Nembrotha sp. nudibranch again.

As I was alone and I couldn't see any other divers, I stopped at the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish. Both were there and I took photos.

I had another look for the grey red-fingered angler before heading for the boulders. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam to the exit. It was an easy exit.

Buddy

Dama, Daniela, Mandy, Brett, Tony

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

83 minutes

Maximum depth

15.1 m

Average depth

12.3 m

Water temperature

18.5°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

1:50am

1.35m

Low

7:30am

0.57m

High

1:48pm

1.72m

Low

8:40pm

0.34m