Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 30 December 2018

Time

10:35am - 12:30pm

Seas

Slight current and surge

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

115 minutes

Surface interval

 19:55 (hh:mm)

Maximum depth

12.5 m

Average depth

9.7 m

Water temperature

14.5°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

3:47am

1.43m

Low

9:44am

0.61m

High

3:49pm

1.46m

Low

10:19pm

0.43m

Details

With the heat of the last few days I wanted somewhere with some shade where I could get into my drysuit. I needed my drysuit because the water was so cold. The Monument fitted the bill. Low tide was at 9:45 so I planned to get in around 10:30am when it was still coolish.

I got ready and then drenched myself using the shower at the toilet block to help stay cool as I walked to the entry. I got in at the protected area between Sutherland Point and The Steps and waded out to the drop off. I then descended and swam towards the sand line. Visibility was 5 to 10 metres and the water temperature was around 15°C. I was glad I was in my drysuit. There was a bit of surge and current but not much.

I found my way to the small orange red-fingered anglerfish. It have seen it on the same rock every time I've seen it since for over a month.

I continued along the reef past Block Rock and adjacent sponge covered rock to Pygmy Hollow. I found the male pygmy pipehorse in the gap beside the white honeycomb sponge. I found another male on the adjacent rock. I found a cryptic female not far from the male. I then found a pinkish female under the orange finger sponge. I looked on Honey's Rock for the orange red-fingered anglerfish but it was no longer there.

I swam along the Deep Wall towards where the pot-bellied seahorses used to be. I found the dwarf lionfish in the orange finger sponge as usual. I looked for but didn't see any seahorses.

Near the end of the wall I swam up and over to the rocks above the wall. I looked for pygmies on the main rock but found none.

I swam along the reef and checked out Slope Rock and the surrounding rocks for pygmies. I then swam on to the slope under Seahorse Rock and looked for "Nia", the brown White's seahorse. I could not see her.

I continued along the reef past Split Rock and on to the rock where the grey red-fingered anglerfish used to be. The well camouflaged orange anglerfish was still in the hole.

I headed down to the Valley of the Pygmies. I found the male on the first rock and his partner. I found a male on the low rock closest the "castle". I found a greenish male on the same rock. It has been a while since I last saw this male. I found the cryptic female nearby. I swam up to the "castle" (the Carijoa and sponge covered rock) and looked for the four pygmies there. I found the newer male first and then the original female and her partner. I then found the other female.

I was now 83 minutes into the dive and still had to travel along the East-West Wall so I headed up the NW-SE Wall and cut the corner to the start of the East-West Wall. I looked for the small orange red-fingered anglerfish on the large Carijoa covered rock but it must have moved on.

I swam along the reef at the base of the East-West Wall. I didn't have a lot of time or air so I had to move quite quickly. I was very lucky to find "Naomi", the yellow White's seahorse in the sponge I originally saw her in which saved me from looking for her.

I continued to the isolated rock on the sand and looked for Mandy's pygmy pipehorses. I found the pinkish female low down on the rock and then eventually found the male even lower on the rock.

I ascended the wall and headed south over the kelp while doing my safety stop. I continued south until the kelp ended and then swam over the sand until it was too shallow. I waded out onto the rocks in front of the flagpoles.