Dive Details

Location

Date

Wednesday 13 March 2019

Time

11:27am - 12:40pm

Buddy

Graham Short

Seas

Some surge

Visibility

3 to 5 metres

Duration

73 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

19.1 m

Average depth

12.7 m

Water temperature

21.4°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

1:23am

1.53m

Low

7:46am

0.59m

High

1:45pm

1.30m

Low

7:43pm

0.62m

Details

Today I planned two dives with Graham Short to look for red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish and also to look at the environment in which they live. Graham is the lead author on our paper describing these pipefish as a new species.

We had a lot of ground to cover but didn't really need to hit the sand line much before Seadragon Alley. We were going to jump in at Short Leap but it was a little rough so we got in at the normal entry point. It was too rough for the low platform so we slid down the wall. We surface swam along the shoreline to the Short Leap entry point and then descended. We swam at around 30° until we reached the sand line right on Southern Cross Rock. I was quite pleased as this is exactly where I wanted to arrive. Visibility was around 3 to 5 metres and water temperature was around 21°C.

We turned left and headed along the sand line. From this point on there are quite a few patches of the algae that the pipefish have been seen in so we checked each alga as we swam.

We headed through Seadragon Alley. At the end of Seadragon Alley I pointed out where we had seen a pair and even 3 pipefish. A little farther along I pointed out where I had shown him a pair last time he dived here.

We continued to check out the algae as we swam up the slope towards Big Rock. I indicated there was the wrong red algae and the right red algae, although I have once seen them in the wrong algae but that was probably because there were divers there.

We covered a lot of ground between the end of Seadragon Alley and Big Rock but found no pipefish. Up behind Big Rock I spotted George's orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish. I pointed it out to Graham and then headed down to Big Rock to look for pygmy pipehorses. I looked near the sea tulip and found a male. I assume it was the one from yesterday. Graham was checking out the other side of Big Rock. When he came back I showed him the pygmy.

I went across to Hand Rock to look for the female pygmy there. I found her straight away. I don't know why I can't find her sometimes and others she's just there.

We swam along the top of the reef. I over shot the spot where Roney found his pipefish (one of the type specimens) near Sponge Hollow and had to swim back. I indicated that one of the type specimens was collected here.

We swam up to the sand near New Basket Rock and I pointed out the areas where I had seen pairs of pipefish and also where the ones on the video were. I also pointed out where I saw the first pipefish and where the other type specimen was collected.

I took a couple of photographs of the basket star and then had a look on Diversity Rock for the white Red-Fingered Anglerfish. I couldn't find the anglerfish.

We made our way along the top of the reef checking out red algae as we went. As we swam past Di's Rock I spotted the pale orange Red-Fingered Anglerfish I'd found yesterday.

We ascended to the boulders and started our safety stops as we swam to Split Rock. We finished our safety stops and swam underwater to the exit. I got out first, put my camera and fins down and came back to help Graham.