Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on Tuesday 16 April 2019

Dive Details

Location

Date

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Time

12:57pm - 2:24pm

Buddy

George Borovskis

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

87 minutes

Surface interval

1 day 23:47 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

13.5 m

Average depth

10.4 m

Water temperature

20.8°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

5:25am

1.78m

Low

12:00pm

0.33m

High

6:14pm

1.57m

Details

Today George joined me for my dive at The Steps. I had promised to show him a couple of the more hidden Red-fingered Anglerfish as well as the new pygmy pipehorses. Di and PJ came, too, and Daniela and Roney got in the water after us.

We got in only an hour after low tide and the water level was still quite low. I waded out until I was past the shallow rocks just off the entry before putting my fins on. When we were all ready, we descended to the sand/kelp. The visibility was still great considering it was only an hour after low tide and was between 10 and 15 metres. The water temperature was around 21°C. There was barely any surge.

I oriented myself and swam to the large rock just off the entry where "Raphael", the yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish with eggs, has been. He was in his usual spot. I took some photographs and just like before, the eggs are visible in the photographs even though I couldn't see them in the flesh. I pointed him out to George and the others and moved on.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, ("Raphael"). 9.8m.

Eggs of a Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 9.7m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, ("Raphael"). 9.7m.

I looked around for more anglerfishes but as I was moving through the kelp I spotted a Weedy Seadragon. I took some photographs and continued.

I swam on to the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish hanging out under the side of the rock near Di's Rock. I took some photographs and waited for George to catch up and I pointed it out to him.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.4m.

I continued on to look for the off-white Red-fingered Anglerfish. I found it on the same rock I have seen it on since last Friday. I waited for the others to catch up and pointed it out.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.6m.

I looked around for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish. It wasn't in the same spot I'd seen it on Sunday. After a bit of searching, I found it quite close to the off-white anglerfish. I waited for the others and showed it to them.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.8m.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.7m.

I headed to the seahorses. I looked all around the rock and I could not see "David". George swam up and pointed him out hiding at the base of the white honeycomb sponge. It was not an easy spot to take photographs of him. I looked around for "Petra" but could not find her.

Male Pot-Bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("David"). 11.2m.

I searched around the surrounding area for Di's grey Red-fingered Anglerfish. I'd seen it near "David" on Sunday and so perhaps it was still around. I wasn't able to find it.

I swam past the basket star and on to the new white male pygmy pipehorse. I had taken a few photographs of the white male and just one of the pink male when Di swam up. She said she'd found an anglerfish so after pointing out the pygmy pipehorses I followed her back towards Diversity Rock. She pointed out a white Red-fingered Anglerfish. This was actually the same anglerfish I had been seeing around Diversity Rock and was different from the one Sheree had spotted near "David" and I had seen since.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019041201). 12.1m.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.7m.

I headed back to the pygmy pipehorses. I located the pink male again and then the cryptic female. I pointed all three out to George.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri. 12.2m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri. 12m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019041201). 11.9m.

We headed on towards Big Rock. I found George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish on the rock it's been recently. I took some photographs and then left it for George while I moved on. We bumped into Dama and Roney here.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 11.8m.

I checked out Hand Rock for the pygmies that had been there as well as near the sea tulips on Big Rock. I couldn't find any of the pygmies there. I then looked on the rock below Hand Rock and spotted a juvenile pygmy pipehorse. I pointed it our to George.

Juvenile Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019041601). 13.1m.

Juvenile Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019041601). 13.2m.

We headed back along the reef and past the pygmy pipehorses. I stopped to look at the white anglerfish and initially couldn't find it. Roney pointed it out to me.

We swam past "David", who had moved. I tried to get some photographs but his new spot was just as difficult.

We continued past the other white anglerfish which I pointed out to Roney, and the off-white anglerfish. Roney asked me to show him "Raphael".

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.8m.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.4m.

We headed past Di's Rock and I pointed out the orange anglerfish on the side of the nearby rock. I lost George about this point.

We kept going all the way to the rock where "Raphael" is. I pointed him out to Roney and he thanked me. I still had a little air left so I looked around the area for my anglerfish. I found a small orange one just past "Raphael". I went back to "Raphael" to show Roney and Dama but they had gone.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, ("Raphael"). 10m.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10m.

Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.1m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, ("Raphael"). 9.9m.

I headed to the boulders and ascended to Split Rock to start my safety stop. While I was there I spotted a juvenile Half-moon Triggerfish. I took some photographs.

Juvenile Half-moon Triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterus. 6.1m.

I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit. George was waiting for me.

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