Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 4 March 2018

Time

8:04am - 9:14am

Details

Today I was doing a double dive at Kurnell with Joe and Tammy. We'd start with The Leap and then dive The Steps. It was an early start because of the tides and we wanted to be in the water for the first dive by 8am. It was very calm at The Steps for the exit and quite calm at The Leap for the entry.

I got in from the low platform as the water was only just lapping. Joe and Tammy got in from the shelf. We swam out on the surface before descending. We swam close to due north towards the sand line. It was a little tough going as the current kept dragging us to the left. When we arrived at the sand line the current was very strong and there was a lot of kelp on the sand line. The current was also kicking up a lot of the kelp. We turned left and headed towards The Steps.

As we passed Seahorse Rock I was amazed at how strong the current was and how much kelp was being carried by. I stopped behind the first flat rock with sponges to photograph a weedy seadragon but I had trouble staying still as the current was dragging me along. I was also pelted by kelp which was wrapping around my camera. I looked under the overhang which was almost full of kelp but there was just enough space for "Clyde", the male weedy seadragon. I was able to photograph him before I moved on.

I drifted all the way to Southern Cross Rock and basically didn't have to swim at all. Once I got to Southern Cross Rock I had to hold on to stay still and look for pygmy pipehorses. I found the cryptic female I'd found yesterday and while I was waiting for Joe and Tammy I found 2 more pygmy pipehorses.

We drifted on to Seadragon Alley where I spotted a giant cuttlefish that had faded its colours to almost white. I then spotted two weedy seadragons, a male with eggs and another one swimming nearby. The second one also looked like a male.

Towards the end of Seadragon Alley I started looking for "Nina", the female great seahorse, but couldn't find her. I found the pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish in their usual alga. I pointed them out to Joe who couldn't see them.

We swam past Big Rock and on to Square Rock. I found the three pygmy pipehorses there, two while males and a cryptic female.

We continued on to Little Big Rock and I found the white male pygmy pipehorse on the rock behind Little Big Rock. I pointed it out to Tammy.

I swam on to the grey red-fingered anglerfish. I tried to get Tammy's attention so I could show her but she didn't hear me. I showed Joe and then he swam off after Tammy. I had a look around the area for other anglerfishes.

I headed for the boulders 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. I was able to get out onto the shelf, stand up and remove my fins. Tammy swam up and I helped her with her fins. Joe came out then, too.

Buddy

Joe Kent, Tammy

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

70 minutes

Maximum depth

21.0 m

Average depth

14.6 m

Water temperature

19.4°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

4:45am

0.32m

High

11:00am

1.78m

Low

5:20pm

0.28m

High

11:29pm

1.61m