Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 6 October 2018

Time

2:01pm - 4:26pm

Seas

Surgy

Visibility

1 to 3 metres

Duration

85 minutes

Maximum depth

11.1 m

Average depth

9.1 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

5:51am

1.43m

Low

11:39am

0.42m

High

6:00pm

1.78m

Details

There was a combination of 1.5m easterly and 1-1.5m southerly swells and I wasn't sure where I'd be able to get in. I had a look at the protected area around one third of the way from Sutherland Point to The Steps. It looked OK but there was the occasional large wave I decided not to risk it and instead got in at the beach where it was relatively calm. It would mean swimming into the incoming tide but it would be safer.

I got in in front of the flagpoles and swam out on the surface. I descended earlier than I would normally as I expected the visibility to be down and didn't want to miss the wall. I hit the sand above and to south of the wall and then swam north until I reached and dropped over it. The visibility was barely 2 metres and there was some surge. The water temperature was around 17°C. I turned right and headed west along the bottom of the wall.

I came on the basket star so I'd descended right on the start of the wall. I continued along the wall to the spot where I have been seeing the red juvenile painted anglerfish. I wasn't able to find it.

I swam on to the area where the yellowish White's seahorse has been but I was not able to find it.

When I got to the area where we have seen "Sandy", the female great seahorse, I slowed down and looked thoroughly around the area, including all the spots I have seen her on previously. I was not able to find her. Given the visibility and how dull she is, she may well have been there and I just didn't see her.

I continued to the near the eastern end of the wall. I looked for the pygmy pipehorses and found the white/gold female, one of the males, and the cryptic female. Photography was very difficult because the surge was so strong.

I swam over to the large Carijoa covered rock and found the large orange red-fingered anglerfish on the underside of the rock near where it had been last Saturday.

The surge was very strong here and the visibility had dropped to around a metre so I decided to head back along the wall. I would go slowly and look again for the great seahorse.

I came on the area where "Sandy" had been and looked even more thoroughly than before but I was still unable to find her.

I looked carefully for the yellowish White's seahorse, too, and the red juvenile painted anglerfish in their respective areas without success.

I continued along the wall until I reached the basket star and then headed up the wall and south until I reached the beach. I did my safety stop as I swam and surfaced when the depth got to less than 1.5 metres. I waded out.