Dive Details

Location

Date

Saturday 13 April 2019

Time

10:17am - 12:11pm

Buddy

Cody Sheridan

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

114 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

21.1 m

Average depth

13.9 m

Water temperature

20.6°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

2:00am

1.63m

Low

8:58am

0.53m

High

3:06pm

1.26m

Low

8:40pm

0.73m

Details

Today Cody and I planned a double dive. The first dive would be at The Leap and the second one most likely at The Monument unless we didn't have enough time around The Steps on the first dive.

It was very calm and with it still being close to low tide we could use the low platform. Fishermen had messed up the pool where we normally clean our masks so we did that on the low platform. This was not easy as the tide was so low and the seas so calm that barely any water was washing onto the platform.

We jumped in and swam out before descending. We swam at around 60° to the amphitheatre. On the way I spotted a large Comb Wrasse and a Clown Toby. We arrived at the amphitheatre in an almost direct line with the first rock in the Field of Pygmies with known pygmies. The visibility was between 10 and 15 metres, there was almost no surge and the water temperature was around 21°C.

I had to swim over the rock above the first rock so I had a quick look on it for the pygmies I'd seen there before. I didn't find any. I then went straight to the closest end of the first rock and spotted the male pygmy (IL2019110301). He was slightly away from his usual location. I took some photographs and then looked for his partner. I could not find her. She had been here on Tuesday. I looked at the other end of the rock for the other pair and could not find them either.

I swam over to the rock with the sponges and looked for the pair there. I could not find them. I also couldn't find the other male I'd found on Tuesday. Where were all my pygmies going? I looked around for Cody but he'd gone on ahead.

I swam on to Bob & Lucy Rock and looked in the adjacent rock for the male I'd seen last Saturday and the Saturday before. I hadn't seen him on Tuesday so I wasn't surprised not to find him again.

I continued along the sand line. I was surprised to not see "Clyde", the Weedy Seadragon as I went. I did spot a small Giant Cuttlefish before Seahorse Rock.

I spotted a Weedy Seadragon just after Seahorse Rock and then the male Weedy Seadragon just near the overhang. I had caught up to Cody and he was photographing a juvenile Weedy Seadragon between the flat rocks with sponges. I took a couple of shots before ascending to look for the pygmy pipehorses.

I spotted a tiny pink female pygmy pipehorse. I'm sure it is new as the previous juvenile was grey/brown. I looked around for the others but could not find them.

I continued on to Sheree's Pygmy Rock. I spotted the cryptic female and then looked for the others. I found the pale male but could not find any others.

I swam with the current over Southern Cross Rock and on into Seadragon Alley. I spotted a small Weedy Seadragon and small Giant Cuttlefish in Seadragon Alley.

I stayed on the sand line all the way to Big Rock. As I got near Big Rock I spotted a juvenile Eastern Smooth Boxfish and then a juvenile Bridled Triggerfish. It's that time of year.

I looked on Big Rock for the pygmy pipehorses near the sea tulips. Again, I couldn't find them. I swam over to Hand Rock and couldn't find the pygmies there, either.

I headed up to George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish which was still in the same spot on the rock. I took a bunch of photographs.

I swam along the reef to the white male pygmy pipehorse that Mike had spotted yesterday. I caught up to Cody around there and pointed it out to him. I took some photographs and then looked around for others on the rock. I spotted a pink male and a cryptic female. The female looked smaller than I remember from yesterday so perhaps it is a different individual.

We swam past the basket star and I headed up to where Di's grey Red-fingered Anglerfish had been yesterday. It was no longer there. I looked around the nearby rocks but could not see it.

We headed to the seahorses. "David" was still in the sea tulips on the north-western side of the rock. I took some photographs before moving on.

I looked around for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish. It wasn't where it had been yesterday. I looked on the nearby rocks and spotted it. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Cody.

I then swam on to the off-white Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was on the same rock it had been yesterday. I pointed it out to Cody.

We continued past Di's Rock and on to the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish under the side of the rock. I showed it to Cody.

As we swam towards the exit over the kelp I looked for the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd first seen 2 weeks ago. I found all the rocks I have previously seen it on but I could not find it.

We arrived at the rock out from the exit and I swam around to see "Raphael", the yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish with pink mask. He was in his usual spot and I showed him to Cody. I looked for his eggs but couldn't see them.

We headed for the boulders and ascended to Split Rock to start our safety stops. We finished our safety stops and swam to the exit. I stayed underwater right to the platform.