Dive Details

Location

Date

Thursday 22 February 2018

Time

10:47am - 12:33pm

Details

The seas had calmed somewhat since the weekend and I was hoping the conditions under the water had improved. Ben and Mikhail jumped in with my but we did separate dives.

I got in from the low platform but I had to time it as there were large waves washing over the platform from time to time. I swam out before descending. On my descent the visibility didn't look too bad but as I swam to the sand line at around 30° it deteriorated to be around 3 metres at the sand line. There was still a lot of kelp around and quite a bit of surge. The water temperature was between 21 and 22°C. I turned left and headed towards The Steps.

The low visibility and all the kelp made navigation a little difficult but I managed to spot Seahorse Rock this time. I swam past Seahorse Rock which was surrounded by kelp and on to the flat rocks with sponges which were also surrounded by kelp. I was just able to peer into the overhang and I spotted "Clyde", the male weedy seadragon, under there. All his eggs are gone now.

I continued on to Southern Cross Rock and looked for pygmy pipehorses. I looked in all the usual spots but couldn't find any. The surge was quite strong at times. I also looked for the orange red-fingered anglerfish I'd seen a couple of weeks ago but could not see it.

I swam on to Seadragon Alley. I looked for the male weedy seadragon with eggs but could not find him. As I moved further into Seadragon Alley I found a male weedy seadragon without eggs. I also spotted a large school of striped catfish out on the sane.

With all the kelp and poor visibility I swam straight past the end of Seadragon Alley and was some way to Big Rock before I realised. I swam back to where "Nina", the female great seahorse, has been and started to look for her. I could not see her on the rock with all the sponges. I looked around the surrounding rocks for her to no avail. I found the pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish in their usual alga although they were being forced out by the encroaching kelp. I kept looking for "Nina" and even checked the rock where the pygmy pipehorses used to be. I couldn't find her or the pygmy pipehorses there.

I swam on towards Big Rock and stopped at the rock with the large red male pygmy pipehorse on the way. The red pygmy pipehorse was in his usual spot. I couldn't find any other pygmy pipehorses.

I continued on to Big Rock and after having a quick look for pygmy pipehorses I went on further to the rock below Hand Rock. I looked for the grey painted anglerfish but I couldn't see it. I managed to find the white male pygmy pipehorse I saw on 14 February. I couldn't find the female.

I swam past Slope Rock and onto the rock where I had seen the pair of cryptic pygmy pipehorses. I couldn't find them there but I went to rock to the west and found both white male pygmy pipehorses. I looked for the cryptic female but could not find her.

I headed for Old Basket Star Rock looking for the grey red-fingered anglerfish on the way. I think I found the right rock but not the anglerfish. After passing Old Basket Star Rock I found the rock where the orange and pink red-fingered anglerfish has been but it wasn't where I last saw it. I looked around the rock and found it on the north-western side.

I swam up to New Basket Star Rock and then onto the sand to the alga where the other pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish have been. They weren't in their usual alga and I could not find them in the nearby algae.

I continued past Diversity Rock and on to Little Big Rock. On the rock behind Little Big Rock I found the white male pygmy pipehorse. I had a look for others on the rock but the surge made it difficult.

I kept on going past all the rocks I've recently seen red-fingered anglerfish. I found all the rocks but not any of the anglerfish.

I headed for the boulders and ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while swimming to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then headed for the exit. I stayed underwater right to the platform and then stood up, took my fins off and got up onto the platform. There were some waves but it was a relatively easy exit.

Seas

Surge

Visibility

2 to 3 metres

Duration

105 minutes

Maximum depth

20.7 m

Average depth

14.2 m

Water temperature

21.3°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

1:30am

1.51m

Low

7:41am

0.55m

High

1:44pm

1.40m

Low

7:56pm

0.50m