Dive at The Leap, Kurnell, NSW on Sunday 17 June 2018

Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 17 June 2018

Time

9:00am - 11:08am

Details

My last day of 5 days in a row of diving. Tomorrow I'd have to work plus there are big seas coming. It had been a while since I'd done a full dive at The Leap and conditions were perfect. Flat seas and the tides were just right. I also needed to empty my 12L 300bar and 5L pony tanks for they could go off for Hydro.

I got in from the low platform where the water was just lapping the edge. There was basically no noticeable swell and the only water movement was from the wind. I swam out on the surface before descending. I headed at around 30° towards the sand line but ended up at the amphitheatre instead. I'm not sure how that happened unless the compass in the Perdix is playing up again. Visibility was 10-15 metres. There was no surge at all but the tidal current was quite strong. The water temperature was between 17 and 18%deg;C. I turned left and headed towards The Steps.

I stopped at Ian's Pygmy Rock and looked for pygmy pipehorses. I hadn't stopped here in months and hoped there might be some pygmies but alas there weren't.

I swam past the inside of Seahorse Rock and noticed a school of striped catfish in the cave on the other side of Rosie's rock. I went in for a closer look.

I continued on to the two flat rocks with sponges and looked under the ledge for weedy seadragons but found none. I looked around the area and finally spotted a male between the two flat rocks. I looked for others in the kelp but saw none.

I headed towards Southern Cross rock and found two more weedy seadragons. One, a male, was just below Bent Stick Rock and the other, a female, was on the edge of the sand just beyond.

I swam on to Southern Cross Rock and looked for pygmy pipehorses in the usual spot. It was quite difficult to stay put due to the strong current. I looked through the Carijoa but couldn't find any pygmies at all.

I continued on to Seadragon Alley and looked for the juvenile weedy seadragon. I found it in the area it has been for the last few months. I hope I get to see it grow up. I expected to see more weedy seadragons on Seadragon Alley like on Thursday but found none.

At the end of Seadragon Alley I found the red Stigmatopra sp. pipefish in the red algae straight out from the rock with the two sponges. It seems to be bouncing between here and the algae a little farther along. There was a small giant cuttlefish in the red algae a little farther along.

I continued on towards Big Rock. I checked the rocks from the sand line up to the top of the reef for anglerfishes but found none. I did find another weedy seadragon on the sand line.

I swam past Big Rock without seeing anything remarkable but found a large octopus just below Hand Rock.

I found Noel's one eyed White's seahorse on her usual rock. She was on a sea tulip on the sand line side of the rock. I looked all around the area for anglerfishes and pygmy pipehorses but found none.

I headed to the red chimney sponge to where the basket star has been but it was no longer there. (I found out after the dive that it is still around so it must have moved).

I swam past Diversity Rock and on to the rock where my tine orange painted anglerfish has been. I initially couldn't find it but then saw it tucked under some algae.

I continued on to Little Big Rock and looked for the Nembrotha purpureolineata that has been there of late but I couldn't find it. I found the golden male pygmy pipehorse and as I was photographing it, Roney, Dama and Daniela swam up and i waved. I looked on Little Big Rock for the Tritonia nudibranchs but couldn't find them.

I stayed high as I swam on towards Di's Rock. I was hoping to find the zebra lionfish from Friday but I didn't find it. I came to the rock before Di's Rock and looked for Roney's tiny orange painted anglerfish. I couldn't find it. (I found out later that a big group of divers have been in the area yesterday and probably chased it off.)

Just past Di's rock I found the grey red-fingered anglerfish next to its usual sponge. This is the location I first saw it 3 weeks ago when Roney pointed it out.

I swam towards the sand line to the rock with pair of pygmy pipehorses I found on Thursday. I looked and looked and didn't initially see either pygmy. Eventually, I spotted the female and then the male. I'm glad they are still there.

I still had some air left and looked around for the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish. I didn't find it but I did find a Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch.

I then headed for the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam to the exit. The ext was easy but it was cold in the air.

Seas

Calm

Visibility

5 to 15 metres

Duration

127 minutes

Maximum depth

21.5 m

Average depth

13.9 m

Water temperature

17.0°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

5:15am

0.24m

High

11:20am

1.46m

Low

4:57pm

0.54m

High

11:22pm

1.97m

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.