Dive Details

Location

Date

Thursday 25 April 2019

Time

8:22am - 10:22am

Buddy

Cody Sheriden

Seas

Slight

Visibility

5 to 15 metres

Duration

120 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

20.9 m

Average depth

14.2 m

Water temperature

18.6°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

12:10am

1.66m

Low

7:08am

0.58m

High

1:03pm

1.23m

Low

6:24pm

0.80m

Details

Cody joined me today for a double dive. We would do The Leap for our first dive. I would be using my 7L pony for the first time (even though I bought it more than 3 years ago). I wanted to see how it compared to the 5L pony and how much extra time I'd get for diving from The Leap to The Monument while The Steps was closed. Cody was using 2 x 7L sidemounted tanks.

Conditions were calm and the tide was still quite low so the low platform was the place to enter. We jumped in and swam out on the surface. We descended and swam at around 60° to the amphitheatre. We arrived in line with the first rock in Field of Pygmies. The visibility was between 10 and 15 metres, the water temperature around 19°C, and there was only gentle surge.

I had a quick look on the rock above the first rock for pygmies and then the first rock itself. It seems all the pygmies are gone or at least I'm not able to find them.

We headed to the flat rock with sponges. I looked for the pygmies on top of the rock but could not see them. I then spotted a small female on the side of the rock. I pointed it out to Cody.

We swam along the sand line. Just before Ian's Pygmy Rock we came across "Clyde" and another Weedy Seadragon. I don't see "Clyde" all that often so it is good to see him.

We continued along the sand line past Seahorse Rock and on to Weedy Overhang. The male weedy was near the overhang. He still has a wound on his side. There was another weedy between the rocks and Cody found a juvenile weedy in the kelp. I looked on the rock above the weedies and spotted a small female pygmy pipehorse. I don't believe I have seen this one before.

We continued on to Sheree's Pygmy Rock. I looked for pygmies but was only able to find one small one hiding at the base of the hand sponge.

We swam past Southern Cross Rock and on into Seadragon Alley. We found a small adult weedy near the end of Seadragon Alley.

We followed the sand line to Big Rock. I spotted and photographed the juvenile Bridled Triggerfish on the sand below Big Rock.

We headed up to the large rock near Hand Rock. George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish was out in the open on the rock. I pointed it out to Cody.

We continued along the top of the reef to the white male pygmy pipehorse. I looked for the pink male but could not see him.

We swam on towards Diversity Rock and I looked for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish but could not see it.

We headed past the basket star and on to the large rock behind Little Big Rock. The grey Red-fingered Anglerfish was on the side of the rock. "David", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, was in the sea tulips on the rock below the large rock.

We continued to the large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish. It has stayed put for a week or so now.

We swam past Di's Rock and on to the large orange Red-fingered Anglerfish on the side of the nearby rock.

We continued along the reef and spotted a floundering Weedy Seadragon. We're not sure why it was floundering but it didn't look well.

We headed to the rocks in front of the exit. I looked for "Raphael", the yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish with pink mask, but could not find him. I did find the small pale orange Red-fingered Anglerfish.

We swam to the boulders and as we were ascending to Split Rock I noticed a juvenile Half-moon Triggerfish. I took some photographs and started my safety stop.

We finished our safety stops and swam to the exit and got out.