Dive Details

Location

Date

Friday 26 April 2019

Time

10:15am - 12:05pm

Buddy

Ron Walsh

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

110 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

21.2 m

Average depth

12.8 m

Water temperature

19.3°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

1:00am

1.58m

Low

8:05am

0.63m

High

2:05pm

1.20m

Low

7:22pm

0.85m

Details

Ron joined me for today's dive at The Leap. He was going to show me the anglerfish he'd found and I was going to show him the ones I'd found.

It was very calm and we were able to get in from the low platform. The sea level was well below the platform which made rinsing our masks a little difficult and the step into the water wasn't small. We swam out on the surface before descending. I followed Ron at around 60° towards the sand line. We ended up south-east of the amphitheatre around 20 metres from Pygmy Rock. The visibility was over 10 metres and probably 15 metres or better. The water temperature was between 19 and 20°C. There was barely any surge.

As soon as we dropped down I spotted a Weedy Seadragon. As I was photographing it, I noticed a second one.

We started to head towards the Field of Pygmies. We had only just gone past Pygmy Rock and the next rock when I spotted another Weedy Seadragon.

I had a quick look on the first rock for the pygmies that used to be there. I saw none and so continued to the flat rock with sponges. I looked on the side of the rock where I'd seen the female pygmy yesterday and it was still there. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Ron. While Ron was photographing the pygmy, I looked for more on the rock.

We continued along the sand line towards Seahorse Rock. I was looking for pygmies, anglers and weedies as we swam.

We headed past Seahorse Rock and Ron pointed out a pale orange Red-fingered Anglerfish a few rocks past Seahorse Rock. While Ron was photographing it, I noticed a Weedy Seadragon on the sand. It was the female from Weedy Overhang. I took photographs of her while Ron photographed the anglerfish. I then took photographs of the anglerfish.

We continued to Weedy Overhang. The male was under the overhang. He still has a slight wound on his side. There was another adult weedy between the two rocks and the juvenile weedy was below where the pygmies used to be. Ron had got ahead of me and I couldn't show him the juvenile weedy.

I swam on to Sheree's Pygmy Rock via the sand line so I could look for more Weedy Seadragons. I only found one pygmy on Sheree's Pygmy Rock. It was hiding at the base of the hand sponge.

I headed over Southern Cross Rock and on into Seadragon Alley where I caught up to Ron. I found a small adult weedy near the end of Seadragon Alley.

We followed the sand line all the way to Big Rock. I didn't look for any pygmies on Big Rock and swam straight up to the large rock near Hand Rock. George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish was there. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Ron.

I headed towards Slope Rock and could see the little salmon Red-fingered Anglerfish from some way out. I took some photographs and when Ron caught up I pointed it out to him.

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

I had a good look around near Diversity Rock for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish but I still can't find it.

We swam up past the basket star and Ron indicated the area just beyond and above Diversity Rock was where he'd found a salmon Red-fingered Anglerfish last week. We looked around the area but couldn't find it.

We headed up to the large rock above Little Big Rock where "David", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, has been. The grey Red-fingered Anglerfish was on the side of the rock where it had been yesterday. "David" was in the sea tulips on the rock below.

We continued to the large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish which has been on the same rock for the last couple of weeks. I looked around for the other white Red-fingered anglerfish but could not find it.

We swam past Di's Rock and I initially couldn't see the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd found yesterday. I then saw a bit of orange inside the algae and found it hiding. I showed it to Ron.

I found the large orange Red-fingered Anglerfish hiding on the side of the rock its been on for the last few weeks. I also pointed it out to Ron.

Ron indicated he was low on air and was going to the exit. I told him I had at least one more anglerfish to show him and we swam quickly to the rocks in front of the exit. We arrived and I wasn't able to find "Raphael", the yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish with pink mask. I did find the small pale orange one that I have been seeing recently. I pointed it out to Ron and he left after taking some photographs.

I looked around for another 15 minutes or so before I finally found "Raphael". He was on top of a rock, sort of in the open, but partially obscured by kelp.

I headed for the exit and spotted the juvenile Half-Moon Triggerfish just below Split Rock. I did my safety stop at Split Rock and then swam underwater to the exit. The exit was easy.