Dive Details

Location

Date

Sunday 30 June 2019

Time

1:41pm - 3:28pm

Buddy

Cody Sheridan

Seas

Calm

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

107 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

17.2 m

Average depth

12.6 m

Water temperature

16.4°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

12:15am

0.58m

High

6:00am

1.38m

Low

11:52am

0.52m

High

6:28pm

1.79m

Details

This was only my second dive after nearly 4 weeks off. There was an easterly swell like yesterday and so Kurnell would not be great. I wanted something easy and it's been ages since I've dived the western side of Bare Island. Cody joined me and we agreed to check out the deep wall and look for the Pot-bellied Seahorses.

Low tide was around noon so we met at 12:30 but parking was a problem. Fortunately, I bumped into Kim and Kris and Kris let me have her spot when she left.

We walked to the western side of the island and got in just to the south of the "swimming pool". We swam out on the surface before descending. We descended and headed at around 220° towards the Deep Wall. Visibility here was around 5 metres and the water temperature was between 16 and 17°C. Once we reached the top of the wall, we dropped down. The visibility had improved to around 10 metres. There was no surge at all and barely any current despite the incoming tide.

We headed west along the base of the wall checking out the rocks at the base of the wall. As we went farther along the wall I moved a little shallower as we approached the area where I have previously seen the female Pot-bellied Seahorse. I was still deeper than her area and checking out the sea tulips on a large rock when I spotted a small male Pot-bellied Seahorse (that Vicki calls "Greg"). I took some photographs of him and then Cody indicated he'd found another male a little farther along on the same rock. (Vicki calls this one "Garry".) I was so pleased we'd found two male seahorses but knew there must be a female seahorse around, and probably the same female from last year.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Greg"). 15.8m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Garry"). 16.5m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Greg"). 15.7m.

We continued to look at that rock and the surrounding rocks for a female. Cody went a little farther afield and found an orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. He called me over to see it. I took some photographs and then went back to look for the female seahorse. I searched for another 10 minutes before we continued on.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 15.8m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 16.1m.

We followed the wall until it petered out and then continued along the reef for a while. I spotted a Cratena lineata nudibranch and took some photographs.

Nudibranch, Cratena lineata. 16.1m.

We then headed north towards the sand. I spotted a small Crested Horn Shark and a large male Port Jackson Shark. We headed over the sand and over two reefs to the main reef around the island. We headed west and followed the reef around to the north. I was looking for pygmy pipehorses as we went.

Crested Horn Shark, Heterodontus galeatus. 14.9m.

We passed the caves and I still hadn't found any pygmy pipehorses. As I was approaching the rock near the bottom of the slope where there always seems to be at least one pygmy, Cody called me back. He'd found a small male pygmy pipehorse. We looked around for a second but couldn't find one.

Common Sydney Octopus, Octopus tetricus. 12.7m.

Juvenile Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063001). 12.7m.

I went back to the rock I'd been heading for. I couldn't find any pygmies on the outer side of thew rock but I found a male on the other side. I looked around for a female but couldn't find one.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063002). 12.7m.

We headed up the slope. I looked on Juvy Rock and spotted a small pygmy straight away. I started to look for others and realised I only had 3 minutes of NDL left and so needed to get shallower.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063003). 12.3m.

We continued up the slope. I wanted to spend more time looking for pygmies but was still nearly into deco so we kept getting shallower. I looked near Pygmy Rock and spotted a nudibranch, Chromodoris striatella, that I have not seen before.

Nudibranch, Chromodoris striatella. 11m.

I was still close to deco so we kept going up the slope. I looked on the third rock with the pink sea tulips which used to be good for pygmies a few years ago. I spotted a small cryptic female. I pointed it out to Cody. I kept looking and then spotted a male.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063004). 9.8m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063005). 9.5m.

We made our way to the top of the slope and then along the sand in front of the boulders. I ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop as we headed to the exit. We got out near Carol's plaque.

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(s)

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161