Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 26 August 2018

Time

8:18am - 9:33am

Details

A high tide of 8:15am was too early to attempt a dive on the incoming tide so we resigned to get in on high tide and hope the start of the outgoing tide would still result in good conditions. There was supposed to be a 1m southerly swell and a 1m northeasterly swell but you could hardly tell. There was the occasional larger wave but noting approaching 1 metre.

We were able to put our fins on while on the shelf and jump into the water. We swam out on the surface and I pointed out Split Rock to Cody so he could use it if he came back on his own. We descended and were pleasantly surprised by the visibility which was at least 10 metres. I then almost immediately noticed the leak detector flashing in my housing. I could see a small amount of water in the housing but couldn't see where it had got in. The plug for the vacuum adapter was in place. As the conditions were so good I decided not to abort the dive and could manage the housing by keeping it level: the water would stay at the bottom of the housing and not risk the camera. I showed Cody just so he'd know when and if I decided to abort.

We turned right and headed towards Big Rock. The water temperature was between 14 and 15°C (Perdix said 14 and Descent Mk1 said 15). There was some surge but not too bad.

We swam along the sand line and as we approached the rocks where the orange red-fingered anglerfish with dark eyes had been I could not see it. I looked all around the rocks but could not see it. My small red-fingered anglerfish was still up against one of the white honeycomb sponges. I continued to look fo the orange anglerfish but I could not see it.

We continued along the sand line to the rock with sea tulips and pygmy pipehorses. I found the female, who had moved since Friday, and then found the male, who had also moved. I pointed them out to Cody.

We swam up to Di's Rock and then on to the rock where Roney had pointed out the tiny orange painted anglerfish. We then headed down towards the sand line looking for the anglerfish which Roney had recently found again. We didn't find it.

We continued along the sand line towards Little Big Rock. I headed up to the large rock behind Little Big Rock and and found the male pygmy pipehorse. It was where I saw it on Friday. I looked around for the female but could not find it.

We headed over a couple of rocks to where I saw the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish on Thursday and Friday. It was still in the same spot. I took photographs and pointed it out to Cody.

I looked around the area for the salmon red-fingered anglerfish but was not able to find it. I did find one of the Nembrotha purpureolineata nudibranchs I'd seen mating on Thursday. I pointed it out to Cody.

On the next rock from Little Big Rock I found the two pygmy pipehorses. I found the female first and then the male.

We stopped at the rock near Diversity Rock where my juvenile painted anglerfish has been. It was still there. It still seems so small.

I looked on Diversity Rock for pygmy pipehorses but found none. I completely forgot about the male weedy seadragon below Diversity Rock.

We swam on to Sponge Hollow via the basket star. At Sponge Hollow I saw that the grey red-fingered anglerfish had moved, but not very far.

We swam around the rock with the one-eyed seahorse a few times before I finally found the seahorse on a sea tulip.

We started to head towards Big Rock but I was worried about the camera in the housing so we turned and swam along the sand line back towards The Steps.

As we were swimming back I remembered about the male weedy seadragon with eggs below Diversity Rock. It was there as we swam up. I took some photographs.

I took some more photographs of the orange painted anglerfish but they were overexposed. This suggested that perhaps water had gotten into the camera so after trying a few things I indicated to Cody we'd cut the dive short. This was disappointing as the conditions were still good.

We swam to the boulders and ascended to 5 metres and started our safety stops. We swam to Split Rock and I pointed out the Plesiastrea colonies along the way that I use as navigation landmarks. We finished our safety stops at Split Rock and then swam underwater to the exit. Cody got out first and I handed him my camera rig so it would stay level.

Buddy

Cody Sheridan

Seas

Surgy

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

74 minutes

Maximum depth

14.1 m

Average depth

11.1 m

Water temperature

15°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

2:19am

0.36m

High

8:15am

1.38m

Low

1:56pm

0.48m

High

8:22pm

1.73m