Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1707

Date

Sunday 7 July 2019

Time

12:25pm - 1:48pm

Buddy

Charlie Elliot, Duncan Heuer

Seas

Slight current and surge

Visibility

2 to 5 metres

Duration

83 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

17.7 m

Average depth

12.1 m

Water temperature

16.1°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

6:04am

0.29m

High

12:12pm

1.46m

Low

5:52pm

0.56m

Details

I had only planned a single dive today but I bumped into Charlie and Duncan after I finished my first dive. I'm always up for a second dive so I offered to show them the seahorses and whatever else I could find.

It was still a little rough on the western side of the island so we got in on the northern side of the island near the swimming pool and surface swam around the corner until we more or less had the three flagpoles lined up. We descended and swam at around 230° towards the Deep Wall. The visibility was down from the first dive and the surge had picked up a bit. When we reached the wall the visibility had improved slightly but was still only around 5 metres. The water temperature was between 16 and 17°C. We dropped down the wall and followed it to the north-west.

We didn't have far to go before the wall swung to the north and we reached the rock where the Pot-bellied Seahorses are. I swam to the northern end of the rock first and located both "Greg" and "Garry" in the same sea tulips I'd seen them on the first dive. I took some photographs while I was waiting for Charlie and Duncan to catch up. I pointed out the seahorses and swam on to the Girdled Pipefish.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Garry"). 17.2m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Greg"). 17.4m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Garry"). 17.3m.

I found both Girdled Pipefish on the rock I'd seen them on during the previous dive. I took some photographs and headed back to Charlie and Duncan at the seahorses. Duncan had spotted a flatworm with papillae crawling over the rock near the sea tulips.

Girdled Pipefish, Festucalex cinctus. 16.5m.

Girdled Pipefish, Festucalex cinctus. 16.4m.

Flatworm. 16.8m.

We swam back to the pipefish and I pointed them out before moving on the Cody's orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was in the same spot as it was on the previous dive. I took some photographs of the anglerfish while Charlie and Duncan were photographing the pipefish.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 16.4m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 16.6m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 16.7m.

I pointed out the anglerfish to Charlie and Duncan and swam on to the Dwarf Lionfish. I pointed it out to Charlie when she caught up.

Dwarf Lionfish, Dendrochirus brachypterus. 16.4m.

I started heading northward over the reef but slowly so I wouldn't lose the others. Charlie called me back and was so exited to have found an Spiny Gurnard. I didn't share the same enthusiasm as I had already seen one on the previous dive. I did find another Dwarf Lionfish.

Dwarf Lionfish, Dendrochirus brachypterus. 12.7m.

We continued northward again and as we swam over the sand I was looking for more gurnards and perhaps the Bent Stick Pipefish I'd seen on the previous dive.

We hit the shallow wall and followed it west to the corner and then followed the reef around to the north. We hit the edge of the reef and headed east along in front of the caves. I spotted another Dwarf Lionfish in an orange finger sponge.

I stopped at the rock where I usually see pygmy pipehorses and looked for the chocolate male pygmy (IL2019063002) I'd spotted last Sunday and seen again yesterday and this morning. It was close to where it had been this morning on the back side of the rock. I pointed it out to the others before moving on.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063002). 12.9m.

I hadn't gone far when I spotted a large Magnificent Volute crawling across the sand. I shot some video of it while I was waiting for the others.

I stopped at Juvy Rock and spotted the small male pygmy (IL2019063003) I'd spotted last Sunday. I pointed it out to Charlie and Duncan.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063003). 12.6m.

We headed up the slope. I stopped at the rock with the red chimney sponge to look for the pair of pygmies I saw on my first dive, the pink male (IL2019070601) from yesterday and the female (IL2019070701) I first saw today. I pointed them out to the others and continued up the slope.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019070701). 11.4m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019070601). 11.2m.

I stopped at the third rock with the purple sea tulips to look for the pygmies there. I spotted the white male (IL2019070602) first. Charlie and Duncan swam up but then had to leave. I stayed to look for the other pair. I spotted the cryptic female (IL2019063004) and then eventually found the chocolate male (IL2019063005).

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019070602). 9.2m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063004). 9.6m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063004). 9.5m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019063005). 9.7m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019070602). 9.2m.

I headed up the sand to the kelp because I wanted to see the juvenile Port Jackson Shark I'd been told about near the outboard motor. I looked all around the kelp but could not find it.

I continued towards the exit doing my safety stop along the way. I got out near Carol's plaque and Charlie and Duncan were 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(s)

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161