Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 3 March 2019

Time

7:55am - 9:27am

Buddy

Sheree Rose

Seas

Some current and surge

Visibility

2 to 5 metres

Duration

92 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

14.0 m

Average depth

11.7 m

Water temperature

23.0°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

12:52am

0.64m

High

7:22am

1.59m

Low

2:03pm

0.49m

High

7:59pm

1.30m

Details

Today was probably the worst day with respect to tides. High tide was too early to be able to dive before and low tide was too late to be able to dive long enough after that might deliver good visibility. I went with diving as soon as possible after high tide and hoped that the visibility would not be too bad.

Sheree joined me for the dive and we got into the water around 30 minutes after high tide. It was calm enough to jump in without my fins and put them on in the water. We swam out. The visibility didn't actually look all than bad. Once again I was optimistic.

We descended to the sand/kelp. The visibility was not outstanding but better than it had been here on Wednesday and way better than at The Leap yesterday and Thursday. It was probably between 2 and 5 metres but was difficult to tell because the Sun was still low in the sky. The water was a balmy 23°C. There was some surge and the current from the outgoing tide was noticeable.

We headed to the edge of the kelp and I was checking out the rocks for anglerfishes on the way. We turned right and headed towards Big Rock. I checked all the rocks I passed on the way to the rock where the seahorses had been. I had a quick look on the rock before we continued.

We swam along the sand line to the hole where the pipefishes have been. I was surprised to see the Sawtooth Pipefish outside the hole and I managed to get a couple of photographs of the male with eggs before he disappeared into the hole. I could still see him in the hole and I pointed him out to Sheree.

We continued along the sand line to the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish. It was still on its original rock where I'd seen it yesterday. It was facing the other way. I looked on the top of the next rock and noticed a large number of tube building amphipods. I took a few photographs that I can send to Penny Berents.

We swam on to Little Big Rock. I looked for Dama & Roney's Sawtooth Pipefish but I couldn't see them. I swam up to the large rock behind Little Big Rock and spotted both Pot-Bellied Seahorses, "Petra" and "David" in the sea tulips on the rock just below the large rock. I pointed them out to Sheree.

We followed the reef to Diversity Rock. I looked for the Miamira sinuata nudibranch but could not find it. I indicated to Sheree it was in the area. We expanded our search and she found a Weedy Seadragon. Finally, Sheree found it not far from where I last saw it on Thursday.

We headed to Big Rock. I looked on Hand Rock for the pygmy pipehorse there but could not find it. I also checked the rock below Hand Rock. I looked at the rock behind Big Rock where I found George's orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish. It was still there hanging out under the back of the rock. It was in a better spot for photography, too. I pointed it out to Sheree.

We continued past Big Rock for a while before turning and heading back along the top of the reef. I checked out the clumps of red algae around New Basket Star Rock for red Stigmaopora sp. pipefish.

We swam on to the basket star and then back to the Miamira sinuata nudibranch for some more photographs.

We headed over Diversity Rock and past the rock where my tiny orange painted anglerfish had been. I remembered that Mandy had said there had been a white Red-Fingered Anglerfish in the area so it was in front of mind as I swam towards the next rock. I spotted the white dots of a very well camouflaged Red-Fingered Anglerfish.

On the next rock I found two reaper cuttlefish. It is not often I see two together.

We swam on to Little Big Rock and the seahorses. They were still in the sea tulips although "Petra" was now reaching down below the sea tulips. Perhaps she was trying to feed on the mysids near the sand. I checked again for Dama and Roney's Sawtooth Pipefish but could not see them.

We continued along the sand line, stopping at the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish on the way. From here we headed away from the sand line and checked out some of the rocks before heading to the boulders.

We started our safety stops as we swam to Split Rock. We finished our safety stops and swam underwater to the exit. I got out cleanly but Sheree got washed off the normal exit rock and I had to help her get out farther along.