Dive Details
Location
Date
Monday 11 March 2019
Time
9:29am - 11:03am
Buddy
Dom Fretz, Denisse Sotomayor
Seas
Some surge and current
Visibility
5 to 10 metres
Duration
93 minutes
Surface interval
Maximum depth
14.8 m
Average depth
11.3 m
Water temperature
18.8°C
Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand
Tides at Botany Bay AEDT
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
Low
6:04am
0.52m
High
12:11pm
1.48m
Low
6:18pm
0.50m
Details
Today I was meant to be taking a couple from Florida for dives at The Leap and The Steps primarily to see Weedy Seadragons but also other local species. Unfortunately, they cancelled yesterday because they couldn't hire a car for just one day. I'd already taken a day off work so figured I'd still go for a dive. Dom and his friend Denisse were free so we agreed to dive together.
The conditions looked excellent and with an incoming tide it should be a good dive. I wore my drysuit again because the air was still cool. I promised to show Dom and Denisse: 4 Red-Fingered Anglerfish, a couple of seahorses and perhaps even some pygmy pipehorses. I told them about the small anglerfish I'd seen on Saturday and Sunday right at the entry/exit.
We got in and swam out on the surface. We descended to the sand/kelp. Visibility was between 5 and 10 metres and the water temperature around 19°C. There was only gentle surge.
I headed for the rock where I'd seen the anglerfish but ended up too far north-west as I was about to head to the rock I was looking for, I spotted a small orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish. It wasn't the same one from yesterday but I figured that neither Dom nor Denisse would know.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.5m.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.3m.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.1m.
I moved on to the rock where I had seen the anglerfish on Saturday and Sunday but I wasn't able to find it. I looked all around the rock and on the adjacent rocks without success.
We swam slowly on to the rock with where the seahorses had been. I looked for anglerfishes along the way. I then checked a number of rocks around the area for anglerfishes.
We got to the hole where the pipefishes have been. I looked in the hole and spotted one of the Sawtooth Pipefish. Unfortunately, the resident Half-banded Seaperch stirred up the sand and I couldn't get any decent photographs.
We followed the sand line to the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish. I pointed it out to Dom and Denisse before continuing.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.9m.
I swam on to Little Big Rock and looked for Dama and Roney's Sawtooth Pipefish. They weren't there again. I then headed to the rock where the Pot-Bellied Seahorses usually are. "Petra" was on the sand below the rock surrounded by mysids and feeding on them. I shot some video of her feeding. "David" was hanging on to a sea tulip. When the others caught up I pointed out the seahorses.
I went on ahead to Diversity Rock. I found the white Red-Fingered Anglerfish between colonies of Carijoa as it had been on Saturday and Sunday. I then looked for the Miamira sinuata nudibranch while I waited for the others to catch up. When they did, I pointed out the white anglerfish. I swam up to the basket star while the others were photographing the anglerfish.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.6m.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.7m.
We headed for Big Rock. We moved quite quickly so we'd have time to get back. I swam up to the rock where George's orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish has been. It wasn't there. Or so I thought. I looked under the side of the rock and spotted it. I took a couple of photographs and then ducked down to Big Rock to look for pygmy pipehorses. I looked around the sea tulip where Ron had spotted a pair in early January. I spotted a male. I'll have to check if it was one of those that Ron found. I wasn't able to find a second. When the others came down I pointed it out and then went back to the orange anglerfish for some more photographs.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.5m.
I headed down to Hand Rock to look for the small female pygmy pipehorse that has been there. She was there today. Dom and Denisse swam up and said they were heading back. I showed them the pygmy pipehorse which they photographed before heading off.
I swam slowly back on my own. I stopped at Diversity Rock to look for the nudibranch again as well as to take some more photographs of the white anglerfish.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.7m.
I headed to Little Big Rock and the seahorses. "Petra" was still on the sand but "David" had moved to one of the sponges.
I swam along the sand line to the large yellow Red-Fingered Anglerfish and then took some more photographs.
I wanted to stay along the sand line but I didn't have enough air so I headed to the top of the reef and checked out the rocks there. I had a good look on a number of the rocks, including Di's Rock. On the side of Di's Rock I spotted a large orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish. I don't think I have seen this one before.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 11.2m.
I stayed high checking out a few more rocks before ascending to the boulders and doing my safety stop as I swam to Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit where Dom and Denisse were waiting. Dom offered to help but the exit was easy.
Camera gear
Camera
Nikon D500
Lens
Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED
Housing
Ikelite 6812.5
Lens port
Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41
Strobe
2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161