Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 6 January 2018

Time

9:09am - 11:00am

Details

The Leap was so good yesterday Mike and I did it again today. It was even calmer at the Steps before the dive than yesterday. It was almost completely flat. The Leap was also pretty flat.

We both got in from the low platform and swam out on the surface. When we were ready we descended and swam at around 30° to the sand line. When we arrived at the sand line there was still a lot of kelp around. The visibility was around 20 metres and it looked amazing. The water temperature was between 21 and 22° and was pleasant. There was no surge but the tidal current was quite strong. We turned right and headed towards The Steps.

We swam past Seahorse Rock and on to the flat rocks with sponges. I went under the overhang where I found the weedy seadragon that had had damage to his head. In the next gap between the flat rocks and the large boulders there were two weedy seadragons amongst the kelp: a male with eggs and a female.

We swam on to Southern Cross Rock. Mike went looking for pygmy pipehorses while I looked for the black painted anglerfish. I found it! After Mike had finished with the pygmy pipehorse I looked and found two males and a female.

I swam on to Seadragon Alley, Mike was ahead of me. At the start of Seadragon Alley I found the juvenile pygmy pipehorse Mike found yesterday. There was a male weedy seadragon with eggs nearby. I caught up to Mike who'd found a small eastern cleaner clingfish on a sponge. I looked for the pink felmale pygmy pipehorse Mike had found yesterday and the juvenile nearby but couldn't find either.

We swam to the end of Seadragon Alley. On the rock with sponges I found both the male and female pygmy pipehorses. I swam on to the red pipefish but I was only able to find one of them. I looked around for the other but could not find it. They had both been here yesterday. I found the great seahorse on her rock.

I continued on towards Big Rock and stopped at the rock with the four pygmies. Mike was photographing the red male so I looked for the others. I only found the pink juvenile.

I swam on to Big Rock and Mike was photographing the two pygmies on top of Big Rock near the single pink sea tulip. I went past and found the white/pink red-fingered anglerfish and then the black painted anglerfish which was on the rock below Hand Rock. I went back to Big Rock and Mike showed me that the two pygmy pipehorses were hanging out together. Mike had to ascend so he left me to photograph the pygmies.

I continued on to New Basket Star Rock. I went onto the sand and found the single red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish.

I swam past Diversity Rock and on to Little Big Rock. I found the female pygmy pipehorse but not the male. I swam up to the rock with the orange red-fingered anglerfish and found it in the green sponge as usual.

On my way to the other pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish I spotted a weedy seadragon on the sand line. I found both of the red pipefish in their alga.

I headed for the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while swimming to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam to the exit. It was an easy exit.

Buddy

Mike Scotalnd

Seas

Slight

Visibility

15 to 20 metres

Duration

111 minutes

Maximum depth

20.5 m

Average depth

14.3 m

Water temperature

20.6°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

12:28am

1.44m

Low

6:12am

0.44m

High

12:32pm

1.84m

Low

7:14pm

0.26m