Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on Sunday 10 June 2018

Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 10 June 2018

Time

12:43pm - 1:54pm

Details

Sheree joined me on my dive today. I knew she was keen for a dive and that conditions would be good, albeit a little cold.

We got in at The Steps and waded/swam out before descending. We headed for the sand line amongst the kelp. Visibility was a little down from yesterday and was probably 5 to 8 metres. There was more surge, too. The water temperature was much the same at around 18°C. We turned right and headed towards Big Rock.

We swam over the kelp until we got to Di's Rock. At Di's Rock I expected to find the grey red-fingered anglerfish I'd seen yesterday but it had moved. I looked around the area and found it on an adjacent rock next to a sponge. It was actually in exactly the same spot it had been 2 weeks ago when Roney pointed it out to me.

We slowly made out way to Little Big Rock. I had a quick look for pygmies on the first rock and then looked more closely on the second. I found the golden male pygmy pipehorse.

We headed over to Little Big Rock itself. I looked for the Tritonia nudibranch from yesterday but initially couldn't find it. I gently pulled back a sponge and found two of them behind the sponge. I'm not sure if one was the same one from yesterday or if there are a few there.

We looked over Little Big Rock some more before I started heading for the tiny orange anglerfish. I paused as a group of divers were coming back the other way. After they swam past, Sheree called my back towards Little Big Rock as she'd found a weedy seadragon on the sand line. I took some photographs before we continued.

I got to the rock near Diversity Rock where I'd seen the tiny orange painted anglerfish. It didn't take me long to find it again. I pointed it out to Sheree who was shocked by how small it was.

We headed away from the sand line towards the mid-reef sand. I spotted a smallish giant cuttlefish under a ledge and Sheree spotted a weedy seadragon up on the sand. I swam up to the weedy and took photographs before taking Sheree back to see the cuttlefish.

We continued along the midreef and I pointed out the basket star on the way. As we approached Sponge Hollow I found the rock with the red male pygmy pipehorse and the pygmy was in the same place. I pointed him out to Sheree and then looked for a female but couldn't find one.

We swam past Sponge Hollow and on to the rock with the one-eyed female White's seahorse. I found her on the same sponge she was on yesterday. I pointed her out to Sheree.

We continued on as far as Slope Rock when Sheree indicated she was cold so we turned and headed back towards The Steps. We went past Diversity Rock and came across Roney, Dom and Daniela near the tiny orange painted anglerfish. Sheree spotted a weedy seadragon on the sand up from midreef. I'm not sure it was one of the ones we saw earlier.

We swam past Little Big Rock and on to Di's Rock and the grey red-fingered anglerfish. I took a few more photographs before we headed for the boulders.

We ascended to 5 metres and started our safety stop as we swam to Split Rock. We finished our safety stops and swam to the exit which was easy.

Buddy

Sheree Rose

Seas

Some surge

Visibility

3 to 8 metres

Duration

71 minutes

Maximum depth

13.5 m

Average depth

10.5 m

Water temperature

18.0°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides

High

4:54am

1.49m

Low

11:07am

0.48m

High

5:36pm

1.68m

Low

11:54pm

0.57m

Camera gear

Camera

Nikon D500

Lens

Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED

Housing

Ikelite 6812.5

Lens port

Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41

Strobe

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161

Photographs

Depth information, where present, indicates the depth of the camera when the photograph was taken and can be used to approximate the depth of the subject.