Dive Details
Location
Date
Saturday 23 June 2018
Time
1:00pm - 2:37pm
Details
Today was my only chance for a dive over the weekend as I was working on Sunday. I was hopeful that conditions had improved since Thursday when I couldn't get in with Nick Nordstrom. Roney, Dama, Daniela and Dom joined my for the dive. Conditions looked ok from the steps with only a small swell and the water actually looked quite clear.
We got in at The Steps which was quite easy despite the lowish tide. I was able step down to the little bay and put my fins on in the water. We swam out on the surface and when we were all ready we descended and swam to the sand/kelp line. The visibility was at least 5 metres and closer to 8 but there was some surge. The incoming tidal current was quite strong and the water temperature was between 17 and 18°C. We turned right and headed towards Big Rock.
I led the way and was swimming just up from the sand line checking out the rocks for anglerfishes. I was surprised to spot an obvious (to me at least) orange red-fingered anglerfish on the back side of a rock. It was upside-down from where I was swimming but the outline was clear. It actually seemed too obvious and I had to make sure I was right. I pointed it out to Dom and then swam on.
I headed on towards Di's Rock. I stopped at the rock where I found the pair of pygmy pipehorses 9 days ago and scoured the rock for them. I was not able to find them.
I swam over to Di's Rock and had a good look around for the grey red-fingered anglerfish. I couldn't find it on Di's Rock or any of the nearby rocks.
Dom and Danilea were now ahead of me and Roney and Dama somewhere behind. I caught up to Dom and Daniela near Little Big Rock. I found the golden male pygmy pipehorse on its usual rock behind Little Big Rock. I pointed it out to Daniela when she swam up. She indicated she'd found an anglerfish on Little Big Rock itself and I could see Dom taking photographs.
I headed over to Little Big Rock and Dom pointed out the grey red-fingered anglerfish as he swam off. The anglerfish was almost a very pale pink rather than grey. I took some photographs and moved on. I swam on to the rock near Diversity Rock where my tiny orange painted anglerfish has been. I found it almost straight away. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Dom.
I continued on past Diversity Rock and up towards New Basket Star Rock. I was looking for the basket star which moved from the red chimney sponge last week. I couldn't find it so I headed back to Dom and the tiny painted anglerfish. We then swam slowly towards Big Rock and I spotted the basket star in one of the rocks in the greater Diversity Rock complex.
We swam on past Sponge Hollow and on to the rock with the one-eyed seahorse. I found the seahorse as a group of other divers swam by. I took some photographs of the seahorse and then pointed her out to Dom. After photographing the seahorse, Dom told me he was heading back so I also turned around and headed back more slowly and a little deeper.
As I approached the gap in the rocks that leads to Miamira Rock I bumped into Roney and Dama who were still swimming towards Big Rock. They continued in that direction and I kept heading towards Little Big Rock.
I visited the basket star and my tiny painted anglerfish before swimming on to Little Big Rock and the grey red-fingered anglerfish. I then also checked out the golden pygmy pipehorse again.
I headed past Di's Rock for another look for the grey anglerfish that has been in the area but couldn't find it. I then dropped down to the rock where the pair of pygmy pipehorses had been and did a more thorough search over the rock. I eventually found the female and then the male low down on the rock.
I swam on to see if I could find the orange red-fingered anglerfish again and I did. I took some more photographs before swimming around the area and looking for the yellow red-fingered anglerfish. I bumped into Roney and Dama. I took them to the pygmy pipehorses and pointed them out to Roney. I then told Roney I'd show him the anglerfish but he wanted to photograph the pygmy pipehorses. I swam past the orange red-fingered anglerfish and then on to the boulders.
As I approached the boulders so did Roney and Dama. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam underwater to the exit. The water level had increased with the tide but the exit was still easy. Dama and Roney got out shortly after me.
Buddy
Roney Rodrigues, Dom Fretz, Daniela Stark, Dama Torres-Pulliza
Seas
Slight with surge
Visibility
5 to 8 metres
Duration
97 minutes
Maximum depth
14.7 m
Average depth
10.9 m
Water temperature
17°C
Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1
Tides at Botany Bay AEST
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
High
4:26am
1.43m
Low
10:36am
0.53m
High
5:11pm
1.62m
Low
11:37pm
0.63m
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.
Red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.6 m.
Red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.7 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri. 11.7 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri. 11.8 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri. 11.6 m.
Red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12 m.
Juvenile painted anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 12.3 m.
Female White's seahorse, Hippocampus whitei. 11.7 m.
Basket star, Astrosierra amblyconus. 11.6 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018061401). 12 m.
Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018061401). 11.8 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018061402). 11.7 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018061402). 11.8 m.
Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018061402). 11.9 m.