Dive Details

Location

Date

Thursday 4 April 2019

Time

8:15am - 9:51am

Buddy

Mike Scotland

Seas

Some surge and current

Visibility

3 to 8 metres

Duration

96 minutes

Surface interval

 4 days 16:7 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.1 m

Average depth

11.4 m

Water temperature

20.3°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

2:32am

0.52m

High

8:45am

1.63m

Low

3:02pm

0.43m

High

9:10pm

1.57m

Details

Mike joined me today for a dive at The Steps. The tides were such that even with an early start we'd only have 30 minutes or so before the tide changed. I hadn't dived since Saturday so I wasn't sure of the underwater conditions. Above the water it looked calm.

We got in at The Steps. It was calm enough to put my fins on in the water. We swam out and when ready we descended to the kelp/sand. Visibility was pretty good at 5 to 8 metres and there was only a gentle surge. The water temperature was between 20 and 21°C.

I started looking at the rocks for Red-fingered Anglerfish. I spotted a large reaper cuttlefish and then I saw a yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish on the large rock. It was not one I've seen before and he had a pink mask. I'm going to call him "Raphael". I took some photographs and pointed him out to Mike.

We continued towards Big Rock. When I got to the rock where the Pot-bellied Seahorses used to be I headed up to look for the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd found a couple of weeks ago. I didn't find it.

I came back down to the sand line and stopped they hole where the pipefishes have been. I saw the male Sawtooth Pipefish in the hole but he moved quickly and I only had time to take one photograph.

I swam up to the rock near Di's Rock where an orange Red-fingered Anglerfish has been. It was still there hanging out under the side of the rock. I took some photographs an pointed it out to Mike.

As I was heading back towards the sand line I spotted a small Giant Cuttlefish.

At the sand line I looked for the juvenile Weedy Seadragon that Georgia had spotted almost 2 weeks ago. It was still hanging around the kelp near here the pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish had been. I took some photographs and waited for Mike to show him.

I swam on to the off-white Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was in its usual spot. It appears to have eggs.

I headed on to Little Big Rock and the Pot-bellied Seahorses behind it. I found "David" in the sea tulips on the lower rock. I couldn't find "Petra" even after much searching. I waited for Mike and pointed out "David" before heading off.

I continued on to Diversity Rock. I looked around for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish but could not find it. George and Paula swam up while I was looking. I visited the basket star before heading off to Big Rock.

I swam past Sponge Hollow and continued on to Hand Rock. I spotted both pygmy pipehorses at Hand Rock. They were both close to the hand sponge on the sand line side. When Mike swam up I pointed them out to him and then headed over to Big Rock. I was hoping that Mike would point them out to George.

At Big Rock I looked near the sea tulips and found the female pygmy pipehorse first and then the male. I took some photographs and waited for Mike so I could point them out.

I swam up to the rock behind Big Rock with lots of different sponges to look for George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. It wasn't there. I started to head back towards The Steps when I spotted a Dwarf Lionfish. A little way beyond to Dwarf Lionfish I spotted George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was just up from Hand Rock. I pointed it out to Mike and then headed for The Steps. I didn't see Mike again for the rest if the dive.

I headed past Diversity Rock and had another look for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish before continuing to Little Big Rock and "David", the seahorse.

I stayed high and swam past Di's Rock and on to the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. I then headed to where I last saw the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. It wasn't on the large rock. I swam towards the yellow anglerfish I'd found at the start of the dive and spotted the small orange anglerfish.

I visited the yellow anglerfish near the exit and took some more photographs. Those photographs show it has eggs.

I swam to the boulders and ascended to Split Rock. I did my safety stop and then swam underwater to the exit. As I got out I saw Mike walking up the stairs.