Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 12 January 2019

Time

11:21am - 1:00pm

Seas

Slight current and surge

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

99 minutes

Surface interval

 7 days 1:49 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

21.8 m

Average depth

16.4 m

Water temperature

19.4°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

1:11am

1.29m

Low

6:46am

0.66m

High

1:03pm

1.53m

Low

7:45pm

0.49m

Details

I was diving this afternoon with Matt Smith and his Introduction to Underwater Photography class so I had time to slip in a dive at The Leap. The tides were good, the water temperature had increased and the visibility had improved. I cold wear my wetsuit and have a good dive.

Ves, Nick, Rachel, Bradly and Sharon joined me for the start of the dive. We'd jump in together and I'd show them the Field of Pygmies before they'd have to head off - I was on 32% Nitrox and had my pony so I could stay deep much longer.

We jumped in and grouped on the surface until everyone was ready. We descended and I led the way at around 60° towards the sand line. We arrived at the amphitheatre. The visibility was 10 to 15 metres. The water temperature was between 19 and 20°C. There was very little current or surge.

I swam to the first rock with known pygmies and went to where the original female has been. She wasn't there. I couldn't see the original male either. I went to the other end of the rock and found the male pygmy (IL2018110301) there. I pointed him out to Nick and then went looking for the original pair. I found the female (IL2018110201) by looking from the south-eastern side of the rock near where the male has been. I then found the male (IL2018110202) hiding in the algae. I then looked for the female at the other end of the rock and found her (IL2018110302). I pointed them out to the others.

I moved to the rock closer to the shore and looked for the pair of pygmies there. I wasn't able to find the red male but I did find the grey female (IL2018122601). I pointed her out to Sharon.

I headed to the rock after the first rock and found the cryptic male pygmy (IL2018121101). I looked for the female but couldn't find her. Nick then got my attention to show me a weedy seadragon a little father along the sand line. It had a clingfish on its back. I took some photographs and then headed back to look for the pygmies. This was the last I saw of the others.

I looked on the rock right on the sand line for the red male that Matt Smith had found one the 28th. I found him (IL2018122801) and then I found his partner (IL2018122901). It was odd that I couldn't find ither of them last Saturday. I had another look for the cryptic female on the next rock with the cryptic male but I still couldn't find her.

I looked on the large rock with lots of sponges for the small juvenile and found it.

I headed towards Bob & Lucy Rock and stopped to look for the small pygmy on the rock just before. I found her (IL2018112401) pretty much where I have seen her previously.

At Bob & Lucy Rock I found the male (IL2018110204) first and then I spotted the female (IL2018110203) nearby.

I followed the sand line to Ian's Pygmy Rock. I found the small pink male (IL2018122302) and his grey partner (IL2018122301). I looked on the adjacent rock and spotted the dull red male (IL2018120101). I looked for his partner but could not find her.

I continued past Seahorse Rock and on to the low flat rocks with sponges. I spotted a female weedy seadragon near the gap between the two rocks. I then spotted the male with eggs who was in the kelp. I spotted a third weedy which I believe is a male.

I ascended the rock to look for the pygmies on top. I found the pink male (IL2018080101) and the pink female (IL2018080102) in the algae they are usually in. I looked a little lower on the rock and spotted the other male (IL2018092903) and also his partner (IL2018110303).

I stayed high and swam over Southern Cross Rock and on to Seadragon Alley. While swimming through Seadragon Alley, I spotted the juvenile weedy seadragon who is now quite large. I then spotted another weedy seadragon that looks a lot like "Clyde" (on checking my photographs it was indeed "Clyde"). He's a long way from where I last saw him.

I left Seadragon Alley and headed up the gentle slope towards Big Rock. I hadn't got as far as the last place I saw the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish when I spotted a small orange red-fingered anglerfish. I'm not sure if this was one I've seen before in this area or a new one. It looked quite small, around the same size as the one near The Steps.

I swam on to Big Rock. I went straight to the spot where Ron pointed out the pair of pygmy pipehorses last Friday. I found both (IL2019010401, IL2019010402) of them near the sea tulip.

I went to the base of the rock below Hand Rock. I spotted the male pygmy (IL2018111001) but I was not able to find the female or the juvenile. I didn't have long to look. I also looked for the juvenile on Hand Rock but was unsuccessful.

I swam past Sponge Hollow and on to the rocks where the grey red-fingered anglerfish has been. I couldn't see it.

I continued past New Basket Star Rock and then the basket star and on to Diversity Rock. I had a quick look for the male weedy seadragon which hangs around that area but couldn't see it.

I headed to Little Big Rock and the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish on one of the rocks behind Little Big Rock. I then swam up to the rock where "Petra", the white pot-bellied seahorse, has been. She was on one of the rocks towards the back. I looked around for her partner, "David", but could not see him.

I stopped at the newer sawtooth pipefish and took a couple of photographs of the male with eggs. I couldn't see the female at all.

I swam along the sand line to the other seahorse location. I looked all over the rock for "Jodi" or "Stephen" but could not see either of them. I dropped down to the small orange red-fingered anglerfish and took some photographs before heading for the exit.

I swam over the kelp and then ascended to Split Rock where I did my safety stop. When I was done with my safety stop, I swam underwater to the exit and got out.