Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 14 April 2019

Time

11:16am - 1:11pm

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 20 metres

Duration

115 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

20.7 m

Average depth

14.0 m

Water temperature

21.0°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

3:14am

1.66m

Low

10:07am

0.47m

High

4:20pm

1.34m

Low

9:58pm

0.67m

Details

There was a large crowd of divers at The Leap when I arrived this morning. Cody was there with two Americans he was guiding and there were a bunch of others, some I knew and some I didn't. I would be showing Cody and the Americans the pygmies in Field of Pygmies but then staying while they went on ahead.

It was still calm although there was some wind which was causing some chop on the water surface. I got in from the low platform with some of the others while some leapt in from the shelf. We swam out on the surface and when we were all ready we descended and swam at around 60° towards the amphitheatre. We arrived right in line with the start of Field of Pygmies. I went straight to the western end of the first rock and found the male pygmy (IL2018110301). I was relieved he was still there with the way the others have been disappearing. I took some photographs and then got out of the way so the others could see him. I actually checked out the rock where I saw my first pygmy 100% on my own in October 2014.

I swam on to the flat rock with sponges. I hadn't seen any pygmies here yesterday but I thought it was worth another look. After a bit of searching I found the male pygmy. So they aren't all disappearing. I searched for others but found none. I pointed out the pygmy to Mandy and Jason.

I swam on to Bob & Lucy Rock and noticed a couple of Kapalana wadei tube-building amphipods. I then checked the adjacent rock for the male pygmy that I saw last Saturday. I still couldn't find it.

I looked for "Clyde", the Weedy Seadragon just after Bob & Lucy Rock but I could not see him. I spotted a Fiddler Ray and pointed it out to Mandy who was nearby.

I continued along the sand line to Ian's Pygmy Rock. I looked on the main rock and the adjacent rocks for pygmies but could not find any of them.

I swam on to Seahorse Rock. I looked around near Seahorse Rock for Weedy Seadragons and spotted "Clyde". He was near the kelp at first but then swam out onto the sand.

I headed to the low flat rocks with sponges. I found the female Weedy Seadragon between the two flat rocks. I took some photographs. I ascended to the pygmy pipehorses. I spotted the small pink female I'd found yesterday. Jason swam up and I pointed it out to him.

I dropped down to look for other Weedy Seadragons. I spotted the male and then found the juvenile that Cody had found yesterday. The juvenile was right in the back of the kelp area below the pygmies.

I swam on to Sheree's Pygmy Rock keeping an eye on the sand line for Weedy Seadragons. I looked for the pygmy pipehorses there. I first spotted the pale male and then the cryptic female. I looked a bit more closely and spotted the larger of the juveniles. Jason swam up and I pointed them out to him before he headed off.

I headed over Southern Cross Rock and on into Seadragon Alley. I spotted the large juvenile Weedy Seadragon about midway through Seadragon Alley.

I continued along the sand line to Big Rock. I spotted the juvenile Bridled Triggerfish at the base of Big Rock.

As I rounded the corner of Big Rock I could see all the way up to the rock where George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish has been. I could see a crowd of divers around in. I would take my time getting there. I looked near the sea tulips on Big Rock for the pygmy pipehorses but could not find them.

I swam over to Hand Rock and looked for the pair of pygmy pipehorses that used to be there. I couldn't find them either.

The other divers had gone now so I headed up to George's anglerfish. I don't know if it was because it was stressed but it yawned a few times while I was photographing it.

I headed along the top of the reef to the white male pygmy pipehorse that Mike found on Friday. It was in the same spot it had been yesterday. I also spotted the pink male and the tiny cryptic female.

I swam past the basket star and started to look for Di's grey Red-fingered Anglerfish. I looked around the rocks where I'd seen it on Friday but could not see it. I had pretty much given up on finding it and started to head to the seahorses when I spotted it on the rock just before the seahorses. It was moving around and I expect it won't stay put.

I looked for "David", the Pot-bellied Seahorse. He was no longer on the north-western side of the rock in the sea tulips. I looked all around the rock and finally spotted him on the south-eastern side. I looked around for "Petra" but could not find her.

I swam on to the white Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was in the same spot it had been in yesterday. I then headed to the off-white Red-fingered Anglerfish which also in the same location it was in yesterday.

I continued past Di's Rock and on to the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish hanging under the side of the rock just after Di's Rock.

I headed down to the sand line and checked out the Pipefishes Hole. I couldn't see any pipefishes. I looked around the area for the juvenile Weedy Seadragon and found it in the kelp.

I followed the sand line to the rock where the seahorses used to be and then headed up into the kelp. I was hoping to find the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish but could not find it. I did find a juvenile Cleaner Wrasse.

I swam to the large rock out from the exit and around to where "Raphael", the yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish with eggs has been. He was in his usual spot. As on previous occasions, I was not able to see his eggs but they appear in some of my photographs.

I had another look for the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish before heading to the boulders. I ascended to Split Rock and did my safety stop. I then swam to the exit staying underwater to the shelf where I got out.