Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 26 January 2019

Time

12:05pm - 1:38pm

Buddy

Sharon, Simon

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 20 metres

Duration

93 minutes

Surface interval

 1:15 (hh:mm)

Maximum depth

15.1 m

Average depth

12.0 m

Water temperature

17°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Shearwater Perdix AI

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

1:15am

1.49m

Low

7:11am

0.46m

High

1:23pm

1.68m

Low

7:56pm

0.35m

Details

Sharon and Simon joined me for my second dive, or perhaps I joined them for their second dive. This time we were at The Steps. I hadn't had much time between Big Rock and The Steps on my first dive and this would give me a chance to look. I had also missed "David", the male pot-bellied seahorse.

We jumped in at The Steps and when we were ready we descended to the sand/kelp. The visibility was still 10 to 20 metres and there was very little water movement. The water temperature was still close to 17°C. We turned right headed towards Big Rock.

I looked carefully at all the rocks we came to in the hope of finding the little orange red-fingered anglerfish that used to be near the seahorses. I got to the seahorses' rock without finding the anglerfish. I did spot a small umbrella snail. I couldn't find any seahorses either. It's been 3 weeks since I last saw "Jodi" and even longer since I last saw "Stephen". Hopefully, they'll turn up somewhere else.

We swam along the sand line with me ahead of Sharon and Simon. I got to the pipefishes' hole and spotted both sawtooth pipefish. The male still has eggs. I pointed into the hole for Sharon and Simon to see but it was difficult to explain what was in there.

I swam on a little farther and found a green moray eel in a hole. I pointed the eel out to Simon before I swam on.

I stopped at the rock where the big yellow anglerfish had spent a lot of time. Roney had found a pair of pygmy pipehorses on a nearby rock and I was keen to find them. I thought I followed his instructions but it turned out I was looking at the wrong rocks and was not able to find them.

I continued on to Little Big Rock. I found the large yellow red-fingered anglerfish which is now turning white. I then looked for "Petra" who had been nearby on the previous dive. I found her all the way down near the base of Little Big Rock. I tried to encourage her with a piece of kelp to head back up towards her rock. She settled on a red chimney sponge. Meanwhile, Sharon had found "David" in the sponges on the large rock behind Little Big Rock. I pointed both the anglerfish and "Petra" out to Simon and Sharon, and then when to photograph "David".

I led the way slowly to Big Rock. I looked for the male weedy seadragon with eggs on my way past Diversity Rock but could not see him. I checked the rocks I passed for pygmy pipehorses but could not find any.

I got to the rock below Hand Rock and looked at the base for the pygmy pipehorses that have been there. I could not find any of them: the male, the female, nor the juvenile.

I swam on to Big Rock and looked for Ron's pygmies. I was only able to find the male. I looked careful for the female but could not see her. When Sharon and Simon caught up I pointed him out.

I headed back to Hand Rock to look for the juvenile there. I was very pleased to find it. When Sharon and Simon swam up I pointed it out to them.

Sharon and Simon indicated they were turning around so I swam back with them. We swam over sponge hollow and by the time we'd got to New Basket Star Rock they'd gotten away from me. I started to look for red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish in the red algae on the sand around New Basket Star Rock. I was surprised to see the male weedy seadragon with eggs hanging out in one of the algal clumps.

I took some photographs of the basket star before swimming on to Little Big Rock. "Petra" was back to floundering under the kelp near the base of Little Big Rock. I left her there and took some more photographs of her and "David".

I moved on to Dama and Roney's sawtooth pipefish. I found the male with eggs in one of the holes in the rock. I couldn't see the female.

I swam along the sand line having another look for Roney's pygmy pipehorses before continuing on to the rock where "Jodi" used to be. I looked all around the rock but could not find her.

I headed over the kelp to the exit. I ascended to Split Rock and did my safety stop. I then swam underwater to the exit.