Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 17 November 2018

Time

12:15pm - 2:17pm

Buddy

Robert Fonseca

Seas

Some surge

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

121 minutes

Surface interval

 45:19 (hh:mm)

Maximum depth

21.1 m

Average depth

14.4 m

Water temperature

17°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at BotanyBay AEDT

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

High

4:45am

1.24m

Low

10:20am

0.76m

High

4:35pm

1.40m

Low

11:17pm

0.51m

Details

Today I was joined by Rob, and also by Daniela Stark and Mark Waters for the start of the dive. I had lent Rob my 15L tank with 27% Nitrox so he'd be able to stay deeper longer.

We jumped in an swam out on the surface. When we were ready, we descended and swam at around 45° towards the sand line. There was a bit of current so I had to keep correcting our bearing so we wouldn't miss the first rock with pygmies. We arrived at the sand line around 10 metres to the south east of the rock I wanted. The visibility was 10 to 15 metres, the water temperature was around 17°C, and there was some surge.

We headed along the sand line towards The Steps until we reached the rock I was looking for. I found the original male pygmy pipehorse (IL2018110202) first and then his partner (IL2018110201). I pointed them out to the others while I looked for the other pair on the same rock. I found the male (IL2018110301) first and had to search for a bit to find the female (IL2018110302). I also pointed them out.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110202). 20.6 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110201). 20.7 m.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110301). 20.6 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110302). 20.8 m.

We continued along the sand line to Bob & Lucy Rock. I found the male pygmy pipehorse (IL2018110204) on this rock and had to look around to find the female (IL2018110203). I pointed them out to Rob.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110204). 20.1 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110203). 20.2 m.

We follow the sand line to Seahorse Rock. Daniela and Mark got ahead of us here. I spotted a pink female pygmy pipehorse (IL2018111701) on the large rock just before Seahorse Rock. I looked around and found her partner (IL2018111702). That was 8 pygmy pipehorses before we even got to Seahorse Rock!


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018111702). 19.2 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018111701). 19.3 m.

We got to the flat rocks with sponges. Daniela and Mark were leaving as we arrived. We wouldn't see them again for the rest of the dive. The male weedy seadragon with eggs was under the overhang. His eggs seem to be developing well. As Rob was photographing him, I spotted another weedy seadragon back towards Seahorse Rock and swam back to it.

I swam back to the large rock after the overhang and the pygmy pipehorses there. I found the higher female (IL2018080102) and then the male (IL2018080101). I looked a bit lower and found the other male (IL2018092903). A little farther along was the second female (IL2018110303).


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018080102). 17.8 m.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018080101). 17.7 m.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018092903). 18.3 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018110303). 18.2 m.

We swam past Southern Cross Rock and on to Seadragon Alley. I spotted the large juvenile weedy seadragon around midway through Seadragon Alley. I was not able to find any other weedies there.

At the end of Seadragon Alley I looked for the dwarf lionfish on the orange chimney sponge but I couldn't see it.

We swam along the sand line towards Big Rock. I stopped at the red algae where I last saw the red Stigmatopra sp. pipefish but I could not see them today.

We continued to Big Rock. I headed past Big Rock to the rock below Hand Rock. I looked on the substrate for the pygmy pipehorses there. I found the female (IL2018102701) immediately. I pointed her out ot Rob and then he had to leave. While I was looking for the male I spotted a tiny white nudibranch with black and yellow markings. I took a lot of photographs of it and when checking my books later I thought it was a species of Trapania. Kim said it was Trapania japonica. I eventually found the male pygmy pipehorse (IL2018111001).


Nudibranch, Trapania japonica. 14.2 m.


Nudibranch, Trapania japonica. 14.2 m.


Nudibranch, Trapania japonica. 14.1 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018102701). 14.2 m.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018111001). 14.1 m.

I swam along the top of the reef to the basket star. I didn't even bother looking for the one-eyed seahorse as I fear she has gone. I stopped at the basket star before heading down to Diversity Rock where I had a quick look for pygmy pipehorses. I looked in the kelp below Diversity Rock for the male weedy seadragon that had eggs last Saturday. I also checked the kelp on the way to Little Big Rock but I could not find him.

At Little Big Rock I found the salmon red-fingered anglerfish in its latest spot. I looked for the eggs that Mike had told me about and I could just make them out behind the anglerfish. A short distance past Little Big Rock I spotted the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish.


Red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.4 m.


Eggs of a red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.3 m.


Eggs of a red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.3 m.


Red-fingered anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, with eggs. 12.3 m.

I swam up to the large rock behind Little Big Rock to see the pygmy pipehorses. I found both the male (IL2018072002) and the female (IL2018072001) without too much trouble.


Male Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018072002). 11.6 m.


Female Sydney pygmy pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2018072001). 11.6 m.

I headed to the rock where Mike showed me the grey red-fingered anglerfish last Saturday. It was still in the same spot. Mike suggested it has eggs, too, but I could not see them.

I swam past Di's Rock and down to the hole where the pipefishes have been. I looked in the hole but could not see any of the pipefishes.

I continued along the sand line to the rock where the pot-bellied seahorses are. I spotted "Stephen" as I swam up and then spotted "Jodi" without having to search all that much.

I headed towards the exit to look for the orange red-fingered anglerfish with dark eyes. I pretty much found it straight away and had time to swim back to the seahorses to get some more photographs.

I swam back to the orange anglerfish before heading to Split Rock and starting my safety stop. I finished my safety stop and swam to the exit and got out.

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