Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 7 April 2018

Time

7:46am - 9:17am

Details

I was working both days of the weekend and so my only opportunity for a dive was either early before work on one of the days or a night dive. Early morning dives have worked well before and take a lot less time so I was at Bare Island at 7am. As always when I come to Bare Island, I wanted to see the seahorse. I saw Vicki and others before the dive and she told me the seahorse had moved down on to the rock out from the wall. She also told me about a juvenile weedy that was farther along the wall to the east but I wouldn't have time to look for it.

I planned to jump in from the western side of the island but the combination of the low tide and the occasional large set of waves made me go in via the swimming pool. Even that was a bit of a challenge as the tide was so low. I managed to get out finally and surface swam south a but before descending. I headed south over the kelp and then towards the Deep Wall. Visibility was at least 5 metres and the water temperature was between 20 and 21°C. There was very little current but that was to be expected as it was so close to low tide and the difference between low and the next high tide was so small. There was also very little surge.

I dropped down the wall and headed west. I looked for pygmy pipehorse on the rocks low down on the wall. I kept heading west until I got to the high rock out from the wall. I looked all over it for the seahorse as Vicki had said she had moved to that rock. I couldn't find her there. I looked on top of the wall in the sponges where I'd last seen her but still couldn't find her. I widened my search and eventually found her slightly lower and farther west than where I'd last her.

I continued along the wall until it ended and then followed the reef west for some way. I then made my way north west jumping from reef to reef. As I swam over the reef I found some Flabellina rubrolineata and Cratena lineata nudibranchs in hydroid colonies. I then came across a red indianfish. It is common to see them in this part of the reef but I haven't seen any for the last 3 or 4 dives I've been here.

I headed north to the shallow reef and followed it west to the corner. I then headed north until I reached the end of the reef just to the west of the caves. From here I headed west as far as the isolated reefs. I was hoping to find pygmy pipehorses but found none.

I turned and headed east along the reef towards the caves. I found some more Flabellina rubrolineata and Cratena lineata nudibranchs in hydroid colonies just before the caves. I was still hoping to find some pygmy pipehorses but found none.

I headed past the caves to the bottom of the slope. I found the white male pygmy pipehorse on his usual rock next to the white honeycomb sponge. I looked around for the golden female but couldn't find her.

I looked all around the bottom of the slope for nudibranchs, red indianfish and anglerfishes but found none. I didn't find anything of interest at all.

I headed up the slope checking all the usual spots for pygmy pipehorses but found none. At the top of the slope I swam over the sand in front of the boulders and looked for pygmy pipehorses on some of the rocks on the sand. It's been quite some time since I've seen any there but I keep hoping.

When I got to the outboard motor I started my safety stop. I continued swimming towards the exit and when I finished my safety stop I got out on the rocks near Carol's plaque. This time I made sure I still had my mask.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

90 minutes

Maximum depth

16.9 m

Average depth

11.8 m

Water temperature

20.0°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

12:38am

1.53m

Low

7:30am

0.64m

High

1:23pm

1.20m

Low

6:54pm

0.78m