Dive Details

Location

Date

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Time

11:51am - 1:25pm

Buddy

Ron Walsh, Mike Scotland, Simon Hoad

Seas

Slight current and surge

Visibility

2 to 4 metres

Duration

94 minutes

Surface interval

 4 days 1:40 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.6 m

Average depth

11.2 m

Water temperature

21.5°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

3:30am

1.50m

Low

10:15am

0.63m

High

4:04pm

1.17m

Low

9:51pm

0.68m

Details

I had a couple of days off work this week so I thought I'd use them wisely and go diving. After the rough weather on the weekend I thought the visibility might be down so I figured that The Steps would be a better option than The Leap.

Ron, Mike and Simon joined me for the dive. As we were getting ready, PJ and George returned from their dive and reported that the visibility was not great and at one point was below a metre. That sort of made me glad I hadn't gone for The Leap but I also hoped that getting in an hour later would result in improved visibility.

The tide was still very low when we got in and we basically had to wade out. When we were ready we descended to the kelp. The visibility was not great. It was better than I expected after talking to PJ and George but it was still only 2 to 3 metres. The water temperature was between 21 and 22°C and there was not much surge so at least it wasn't all bad.

We looked around the area straight in front of the entry/exit for Red-Fingered Anglerfish. There have been two in the area of late. The problem is they move around and if you don't look in the right spot from the right angle you miss them. We had no luck so we headed in the direction of Big Rock.

As we swam along the sand line I looked in the hole where the pipefishes have been but could not see much because of the poor visibility.

We continued to Little Big Rock checking for angerfishes and pygmy pipehorses along the way. I looked for Dama and Roney's sawtooth pipefish but I could not see them. I swam up to the large rock behind Little Big Rock and spotted "David", the brown Pot-Bellied Seahorse, and then his partner "Petra" behind him. It has been some time since I've seen both of them on the same dive.

We continued along the sand line to Diversity Rock. I swam to the spot where John had shown me the Miamira sinuata nudibranch on Sunday before last. It was not in the same spot. I looked around the area wary of the wobbegong that was sitting under the rock where the nudibranch has been. The others swam up and pointed out the wobbegong to me. [roll-eyes]

I gave up looking for the nudibranch and swam up to the basket star before heading along the reef towards Big Rock. We had sort of got separated but we'd catch a glimpse of each other as we swam.

I got to Hand Rock and looked carefully for the juvenile pygmy pipehorse there. I couldn't find it. Simon and Ron swam up while I was looking. I then looked on the rock below Hand Rock for the pygmy there but I couldn't see it. Simon and Ron continued on so I went back to Hand Rock and found the pygmy pipehorse. While I was taking photographs I noticed Mike looking at Slope Rock but he was too far away to attract his attention. I waited for a while and realised he wasn't coming so I continued.

I had a look on Big Rock for Ron's pygmies or any other pygmies. I also looked around above Big Rock for the grey Red-Fingered Anglerfish but couldn't find it.

I wasn't sure where the others had gone but I though Ron might have headed farther along to look for the red Stigmatopora pipefish. I did the same although I didn't swim far enough and couldn't find the right algae patch.

I came back to Big Rock along the sand line. I stopped at the rock below Hand Rock for another look for the pygmy there and then took some more photographs of the one on Hand Rock.

I swam along the sand line towards Diversity Rock. I wanted to find the Miamira sinuata nudibranch. The wobbegong was gone. I then spotted the nudibranch on a rock much lower than I had been looking. I took some photographs and then started to look for pygmies on Diversity Rock. Ron swam up so I pointed out the nudibranch.

I continued on to Little Big Rock and the seahorses on the large rock behind Little Big Rock. They had barely moved.

I checked out Dama and Roney's Sawtooth Pipefish but I couldn't find them.

I swam on to the rock where the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish had been originally and confirmed it wasn't there. I then swam away from the sand line to the top of the reef. As I was heading up I spotted a large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish on the side of the rock. Was this the same one? While I was photographing it Ron swam up so I pointed it out to him. I swam on to Di's Rock and then back to Ron to get my bearings so I'd be able to find that rock again.

I stayed along the top of the reef and looked at the rocks for the other anglerfish before ascending to the boulders and starting my safety stop while swimming to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit where I bumped into Ron. We got out together.