Dive Details

Location

Date

Thursday 5 July 2018

Time

10:45am - 12:39pm

Details

I was recovering from a cold and a weird eye condition but I was desperate for a dive. I also needed to empty my 15L tank so it could go for hydro.

Conditions looked pretty good from the surface with just a gentle swell hitting the entry/exit. I put my fins on before getting in and slid into the water and then swam out on the surface. I swam right out to above the sand line/kelp before descending. The visibility was at least 10 metres and closer to 15 metres. The water temperature was around 17°C and there was quite a bit of surge. I headed off towards Big Rock.

I had barely swum anywhere when I came across a weedy seadragon. It looked like a male but it didn't have any eggs.

The current was quite strong and so swimming into it was quite difficult. I stopped at the rock where I have seen the orange red-fingered anglerfish recently but couldn't find it. I then came to the rock with "Noel" and "Di", the pair of pygmy pipehorses. I found them together hanging on to the same alga. It was difficult to photograph them together as they were swinging out of sync and the surge didn't help.

I looked around Di's Rock for the gray red-fingered anglerfish but was not able to find it.

I swam on to Little Big Rock. I looked for the golden male pygmy pipehorse but was not able to find him. I looked around Little Big Rock for pygmy pipehorses, anglerfishes and interesting nudibranchs but found none. I also checked the other rock behind Little Big Rock where the salmon anglerfish, pygmies and sea spider have been. I found a Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch.

I continued on towards Diversity Rock. I stopped at the rock where my tiny painted anglerfish has been and initially couldn't find it as it was hiding. Eventually I spotted it.

At Diversity Rock I started looking for the tiny juvenile pygmy pipehorse that Mike and I saw last Wednesday. I couldn't find it, but I did find another slightly larger female pygmy pipehorse (IL2018070501) a little lower down on the rock.

I swam past the basket star and on to New Basket Star Rock. The grey red-fingered anglerfish that Mike showed me last Wednesday was still in the same spot on the rock.

I continued past Sponge Hollow and on to the rock where the one-eyed White's seahorse has been. looked all around the rock but I was not able to find her. I feared she'd had finally gone.

I headed to Big Rock and looked around the area for anglerfishes, pygmy pipehorses and nudibranchs. I found nothing.

I had plenty of gas, courtesy of the 15L tank, so I headed down to see the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish near where the Hippocampus kelloggi had been. It was tough heading down there because the current was so strong but I eventually made it. The pipefish was in one of its usual spots near the rock with the two sponges. I love seeing this pipefish.

I turned around and headed back towards The Steps. I now had the current behind me so it was much easier going. I hadn't gone far when I came across a weedy seadragon on the sand.

I headed back past New Basket Star Rock and the grey anglerfish, then the basket star and on to Diversity Rock. The new pygmy pipehorse was still in the same spot.

I checked on my baby anglerfish again before heading back to Little Big Rock. I found the Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranch again. I had another look for the golden male pygmy pipehorse but I could not find him.

I swam back past Di's Rock and looked for the grey red-fingered anglerfish again but didn't find it. I found the pygmy pipehorses, "Noel" and "Di", again but this time they were on separate holdfasts.

I continued towards the exit and stopped at the rock I've seen the orange red-fingered anglerfish. I looked around the rocks and eventually found it on the next rock. As I was photographing the anglerfish, I noticed a weedy seadragon near the sand line. I photographed it and then noticed two more in the area. That made 5 weedies for the dive.

I headed for the boulders arriving near the large colonies of Plesiastrea. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while swimming the short distance to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam underwater to the exit. The exit was easy.

Seas

Surgy

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

114 minutes

Maximum depth

16.9 m

Average depth

11.6 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

12:21am

1.57m

Low

7:09am

0.53m

High

1:24pm

1.36m

Low

7:01pm

0.77m