Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 10 November 2018

Time

10:51am - 12:26pm

Buddy

Mike Scotland, Elena Markushina, Dave Baxter

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

95 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

15.0 m

Average depth

11.5 m

Water temperature

17°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

4:17am

0.47m

High

10:47am

1.76m

Low

5:23pm

0.36m

High

11:20pm

1.32m

Details

For our second dive, Dave, Elena, and I did The Steps. Mike joined us. We could cover the ground we missed at the end of the previous dive. I only know of 3 pygmy pipehorses easily accessible from The Steps but there are anglerfishes, seahorses and weedy seadragons so still plenty of cool stuff to see.

We got in at The Steps. The tide was high so I jumped in with my fins on. Mike and I waited on the surface for Dave and Elena but for some reason they descended immediately and we had to chase them. We headed down to the kelp. The visibility was still 10 to 15 metres and the water temperature was around 17°C.

I started to look around the rocks in front of the entry/exit for the orange red-fingered anglerfish with dark eyes. I then spotted Mike photographing something and realised it was the anglerfish I was looking for. After Mike had finished I took a few photographs and pointed it out to Elena. She looked at it but I don't think she understood what it was. I showed Dave one of the photographs on my camera and pointed to the anglerfish. He was quite thrilled.

I swam on to the rocks where the seahorses have been. I initially couldn't see either of them and started to look under the kelp. Elena then spotted "Jodi" who was low down on the next rock. Someone then spotted "Stephen" who was a little above her.

We swam along the sand line to the hole where the pipefishes have been. I looked in and couldn't see them and started to move on. Dave spotted a frogfish in the hole and got quite excited. I guess they don't see them in Melbourne.

We moved slowly towards Little Big Rock. I was looking for anglerfish on the way but found none. I got to the large rock behind Little Big Rock where the pygmy pipehorses are. I found both the male and then the female. After photographing them I pointed them out to Dave.

I swam down to Little Big Rock and found the salmon red-fingered anglerfish in the hole its been for the last few weeks. I pointed it out to Mike and he looked surprised. He showed me a paler anglerfish on his camera. I asked him to take me to it so we swam almost all the way back to Di's Rock. We showed it to Dave, too.

We made our way slowly back to Little Big Rock and then on towards Diversity Rock. I found the male weedy seadragon with old eggs in the kelp below Diversity Rock. As I was photographing it I noticed there was a tail hanging out of one of the eggs. I took a series of photographs of the tail. I then told Mike about the tail. When Dave swam up I told him as well.

I noticed a large juvenile weedy seadragon down on the sand line below Diversity Rock. I swam down to take photographs.

I swam on towards Big Rock to see the pygmy pipehorse at the base of the rock below Hand Rock. I thought the others were following me but when I reached to spot they were not to be seen.

I had previously seen only a female here and had looked for a male each time I saw her. Today I found a male and then the female I have seen previously. I was hoping the others would turn up so I could show them but they didn't.

I headed back towards The Steps. I found Mike and then Dave and Elena. I was about to ask them to some and see the pygmy pipehorses but Elena was telling Mike that they were heading for the exit. I tried to catch up to them but they were too fast. I still had a lot of air so I decided to stay.

I swam past the basket star and on to Little Big Rock. I photographed the salmon red-fingered anglerfish again and then swam on to try to find the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish. I hadn't gone far from Little Big Rock when I spotted it. I found Mike and took him to see it.

I swam up to the grey red-fingered anglerfish Mike had found to make sure I knew where it was before swimming down to the sand line to the pipefishes hole. The frogfish was still there.

I headed along the sand line to the seahorses. "Stephen" had moved to the green hand sponge and I couldn't initially see "Jodi". After a bit of searching I found her in some red algae.

I swam on to the orange red-fingered anglerfish with dark eyes right in front of the exit and took some more photographs.

I ascended to Split Rock and did my safety stop. I then swam underwater to the exit and got out.