Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 5 May 2018

Time

8:26am - 10:11am

Details

I was back at The Leap today but this time on my own. I arrived early so I'd have time for a double dive. I just needed to start the dive before 8:30am to give me time to start my second dive at The Monument around 11am. It was very calm today, even calmer than yesterday and the few waves weren't reaching the low platform.

I got in from the low platform but as it was so calm and the water level was low I used the stop to the right of the edge of the platform to get me closer to the water. I swam out on the surface while I got my camera ready and then descended. I swam at around 30° to the sand line arriving near Lucy and Bob Rock. Visibility was over 10 metres and the water temperature was close to 20°C. There was almost no surge and the current was barely noticeable. I turned left and headed for The Steps.

As I approached Seahorse Rock I looked for the weedy seadragon we'd seen yesterday but either it wasn't there or I couldn't see it. I looked for "Clyde" behind Seahorse Rock where I'd seen him yesterday but he wasn't there. The female from yesterday was just past Rosie's Rock. I found two male weedy seadragons around the flat rocks with sponges. I finally found "Clyde" on the sand just past the rock after Bent Stick Rock.

At Southern Cross Rock I found both pygmy pipehorses: the golden male and the white female. I had a quick look for others but didn't want to stay too long at depth.

I swam on into Seadragon Alley. I got to the area with the red algae where I have seen the juvenile weedy seadragon. Most of the kelp was gone as was the juvenile weedy. I looked farther into the rocks and back a bit and spotted it near some kelp. It was good it is still around in the same area.

A little farther along in Seadragon Alley I found the pair of robust ghostpipefish from yesterday. They were in the same spot as yesterday. The calm conditions made for good photography but a blue groper kept stirring up the silt. I looked around the rest of Seadragon Alley for the other robust ghostpipefish I have seen previously but couldn't find them.

At the end of Seadragon Alley i found the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish in its latest alga. I looked around for others but couldn't find any.

I followed the sand line to just before Big Rock and then headed up to the orange red-fingered anglerfish that Mike found yesterday. It was even more prominent today. What I hadn't realised yesterday was how small it actually was so I took a photograph with my finger for scale.

I swam past Big Rock and on to the rock below Hand Rock. The white/pink red-fingered anglerfish was still there. I also looked for the pygmy pipehorse at the base of the rock but couldn't find it. I looked around for the Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch that Mike was photographing yesterday but it had moved on.

I headed past Square Rock and looked for the pygmy pipehorses there but couldn't see any. I then looked for the one-eyed White's seahorse on her rock and found her near the yellow encrusting sponge.

I headed back to the sand line as I was determined to find the ornate ghostpipefish that had been seen somewhere at The Steps. I found a weedy seadragon almost straight away. I hadn't gone much farther when I spotted another robust ghostpipefish just after the rock where Roger spotted a lemon painted anglerfish a couple of years ago. I spotted what I thought was another weedy seadragon but it turns out it was the same one I'd seen before the ghostpipefish.

I followed the sand line past Diversity Rock and on towards Little Big Rock. I spotted another weedy seadragon along the way. Behind Little Big Rock I looked for the pygmy pipehorses but I could not find any of them.

I continued along the sand line to the orange red-fingered anglerfish. It was in its usual spot on the side of the rock.

I followed the sand line for some more time looking for the ornate ghostpipefish and eventually gave up as I needed to get out close to 10am. I headed for the boulders. As I reached the boulders and started my safety stop I spotted a juvenile bridled triggerfish. I continued towards Split Rock at 5 metres and spotted a juvenile Guenther's butterflyfish. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and headed to the exit underwater, standing up next to the platform.

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 15 metres

Duration

105 minutes

Maximum depth

20.9 m

Average depth

14.2 m

Water temperature

19.4°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

6:05am

0.57m

High

12:02pm

1.27m

Low

5:26pm

0.75m

High

11:58pm

1.62m