Dive Details
Location
Date
Sunday 28 April 2019
Time
11:11am - 1:27pm
Buddy
Cody Sheridan, Rachael Chidgey
Seas
Slight
Visibility
10 to 15 metres
Duration
136 minutes
Surface interval
Maximum depth
20.6 m
Average depth
13.0 m
Water temperature
20.5°C
Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand
Tides at Botany Bay AEST
Note that tides at dive site may vary from above location.
High
3:04am
1.48m
Low
10:00am
0.63m
High
4:15pm
1.27m
Low
9:46pm
0.84m
Details
The main aim of today's dive was to try to see 10 Red-fingered Anglerfish on one dive. I dived The Steps yesterday and saw 9 anglerfish. On Friday, Ron showed me another one near The Leap. If I see all of them I should be able to see 10.
Cody and Rachael joined me for the dive. Cody was using 2 x 7L tanks side mounted, Rachael had her new stumpy 12.2L tank and I was diving with a 12.2L plus 7L pony with 32% Nitrox.
Rachael jumped in from the shelf and Cody and I got in from the low platform. It was quite calm despite a 1.5 to 2 metre southerly swell. We swam out on the surface before descending. We swam at around 60° towards the amphitheatre arriving in the middle of the amphitheatre. The visibility was 10 to 15 metres, the water temperature just under 21°C, and there was very little surge. The current was gentle.
I swam straight to the first rock in the Field of Pygmies and had a quick look for the last remaining pygmy. I couldn't find him but I also couldn't find him on Thursday so I wasn't surprised.
I swam on to the flat rock with sponges. I looked for the pygmy I found there on Thursday and again on Friday but I couldn't find it. I didn't look for long as I wanted to spend more time looking for anglerfish.
We continued along the sand line and I kept one eye out for anglerfish and pygmy pipehorses and the other for Weedy Seadragons. We reached Seahorse Rock and I had not found any.
Just after Seahorse Rock I swam to the rock where Ron had shown me a salmon Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was still on the same rock. I had 1 out of 10. When Cody and Rachael caught up up I pointed out the anglerfish and then I spotted two Weedy Seadragons on the sand next to the rock with the anglerfish. One was the male from Weedy Overhang.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 19.9m.
I swam on to Weedy Overhang. I spotted a Reaper Cuttlefish on the sand one the way. There were no weedies under overhang but I spotted another Reaper Cuttlefish on the first of the low rocks with sponges. I looked in the gap after the rock beyond the overhang for weedies. Most of the kelp was gone but I spotted the juvenile weedy in what little kelp remained. I looked for pygmies above the gap but couldn't find any.
I swam on ahead of the others to Sheree's Pygmy Rock. I looked for the pygmies there but found only one hiding under the hand sponge. I took some photographs as the Blue Groper hassled me and the others caught up.
We continued to Southern Cross Rock. I looked on the side of the rock for pygmies where we used to see them. I spotted a pink juvenile. While I was taking photographs, Cody told me about a Weedy Seadragon I'd missed and I swam back to it.
We headed through Seadragon Alley. I was ahead but when slowly so the others could catch up. I spotted a small weedy near the end of Seadragon Alley. As I was there, Jeroen swam up with a friend who he'd brought to Kurnell to see weedies. He told me he'd see a small weedy at 12m back towards The Steps. I suspect it was the juvenile that Georgia found a few weeks ago and I have been seeing regularly near Pipefishes Hole.
We made our way to Big Rock. I looked for the juvenile Half-moon Triggerfish but didn't see it. I didn't linger as I was anxious to check for the anglerfish. As I swam up towards the rock where I'd last seen George's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish, I could see it from quite some way away. I was relieved. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Rachael. Jeroen swam up at the same time and assumed I was showing him so Rachael waited.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.4m.
I swam the short distance to Slope Rock. I could see the small salmon Red-fingered Anglerfish on the side of the rock as I moved it. That was 3 out of 10. I pointed it out to Rachael. Jerone was gone and Cody had gone on ahead.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 13m.
I then looked for the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd found yesterday. I actually swam past it to High Pygmy Rock and then came back. It was in the same spot. That was 4 out of 10. I called Rachael over and showed her.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.5m.
I looked on the adjacent rock for the Miamira sinuata nudibranch and spotted it. I had to call Rachael back to show her.
We continued on slowly. I was checking every rock carefully for more anglerfish. I thought finding a spare or two would help in my quest. We caught up to Cody at the white male pygmy pipehorse. Cody had spotted a female next to it. I think this was the female Mike and I had seen when he first found them but I haven't seen it since. I looked for the pink male and found it hiding under the alga.
We swam on towards Diversity Rock. I looked all around the are for the white Red-fingered Anglerfish. I hadn't seen it since last Saturday but if I could find it now it would give me a spare to help me reach 10. I was not able to find it after much searching.
We headed past the basket star and then I looked around for the salmon Red-fingered Anglerfish that Ron had seen last week. He'd told me where he'd seen it when we dived on Friday. I looked around but could not see it.
We continued to "David", the Pot-bellied Seahorse. He was in the sea tulips below the large rock behind Little Big Rock. The grey Red-fingered Anglerfish was on side of the large rock where it had been yesterday and Friday. I now had 5 out of 10.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 11m.
We swam on to the large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish. She was in the same spot she'd been for the last few weeks. She gave me 6 out of 10. I searched the area for the other white Red-fingered Anglerfish to hopefully give me another spare but I could not find it.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.9m.
We headed past Di's Rock. The small orange anglerfish that I'd found on Thursday was not there. It had been hiding on Friday and in the open yesterday but was no longer there. I then checked for the large orange anglerfish that had been hanging under the side of a rock. It was also gone. This was one of my fears. I searched the area in every widening circles. I then spotted the small orange Red-fingered Anglerfish on the rock above Pipefishes Hole. I had 7 out of 10 but I still needed to find the large orange one. I continued my search, particularly looking under rocks. I then spotted in under Di's Rock. I was relieved, I no had 8 out of 10. Rachael indicated she was cold and was heading for the exit.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 11.3m.
Red-Fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.5m.
Cody and I headed to find the last 2 anglerfish. I was most worried about finding "Raphael" as he's been on a different rock each time I've dived for the last week. We arrived at the area in front of the exit and I swam to the rock I saw him on yesterday. He was still there. This means all I needed was the small one who has been barely moving and I'd have my 10. I swam down to the post where I'd been seeing it but it wasn't there. I checked again and could not see it. I looked for 5 minutes. Cody indicated he was heading off. I then searched for another 15 minutes to no avail. I had done so well to find the other 9 but failed on the last hurdle.
Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, ("Raphael"). 9.5m.
I swam to the boulders and ascended to Split Rock where I did my safety stop. I then swam underwater to the exit and got out. The exit was easy.
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