Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 7 September 2019

Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1712

Date

Saturday 7 September 2019

Time

11:58am - 1:37pm

Buddy

Cody Sheridan, Dom Fretz, Jason Cockayne

Seas

Wind chop but no surge

Visibility

5 to 20 metres

Duration

99 minutes

Surface interval

48 days 0:30 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.6 m

Average depth

11.6 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.

High

2:45am

1.17m

Low

8:28am

0.65m

High

3:11pm

1.54m

Low

10:09pm

0.57m

Details

Today was my first dive after having surgery almost 7 weeks ago. I'd had to wait for the OK from the surgeon before I could dive and today was my first chance after being told on Thursday (and working on Friday). I had missed diving so much and was so excited. It had been my longest break in 11 years.

I spoke to George before the dive and he told me that conditions were perfect and that he'd seen two Pot-bellied Seahorses and also two Red-fingered Anglerfish near the basket star - the same spot I'd seen one on my last dive at The Steps 7 weeks ago.

Cody and Dom joined me for the dive and we bumped into Jason who tagged along.

It had been very windy and still was when we jumped in. We jumped in and the wind was so strong that it was blowing us out to see while we were on the surface. We descended to the kelp/sand. Visibility was only 5 metres. The water temperature was between 16 and 17°C. There was no surge and just a bit of current from the incoming tide.

We swam over the kelp. I missed the rocks at the entry/exit because the wind had moved us south-east. As I headed towards the sand line I spotted a Tasselsnout Flathead on a rock under the kelp. None of the others were close enough for me to point it out.

Tasselsnout Flathead, Thysanophrys cirronasa. 10m.

Tasselsnout Flathead, Thysanophrys cirronasa. 10.1m.

I headed to the sand line near the rock where "Jodi" and "Stephen" and looked around it and the surrounding rocks for anglerfishes. Just past these rocks I spotted an Okenia atkinsonorum nudibranch. These nudibranchs are quite common but this was sitting in a nice spot for photography.

Nudibranch, Okenia atkinsonorum. 10.9m.

I followed the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. I looked into the hole but could not see any pipefishes. The hole was a lot shallower than it was 7 weeks ago and it looked like sediment had been deposited in it. Near the hole I spotted a male Weedy Seadragon feeding on the sand. I took some photographs and pointed him out to Jason.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 12.9m.

I headed up the reef towards Di's Rock. I spotted a small Green Moray on the way. I looked around Di's Rock and surrounding rocks for anglerfishes but found none.

Green Moray, Gymnothorax prasinus. 11.4m.

I swam along the top of the reef towards Little Big Rock and then dropped back to the sand line before the rock where the large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish used to be. I was hoping she'd returned. She wasn't there but on the very next rock I spotted a male Pot-belied Seahorse in the sea tulips. He's new. I shall call him "George". I pointed him out to Cody and Jason. I looked around the nearby rocks in case I could find a female. I didn't.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("George"). 13m.

I continued along the sand line towards Little Big Rock looking for more seahorses and anglerfishes. When I arrived at Little Big Rock I headed up to the large above Little Big Rock where "David", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, has been since late last year. Cody was already there and spotted what I thought was "David" in the sea tulips. It had the same colouration as "David" but on closer inspection I realised it was a female. How cool, another new Pot-bellied Seahorse and a female, too. I hadn't seen "Petra" since the end of March. I will name her "Skye". I looked around for "David" and spotted him 15 centimetres away. "David" has a new partner!

Female Pot-Bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Skye"). 11.4m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("David"). 11.2m.

I swam down to Little Big Rock where Cody was now and had a look before following the reef towards Diversity Rock. I moved up a bit from the sand line and spotted a black Painted Anglerfish. It is likely the same one I saw on 13 July and was only 2-3 metres from where I saw it then. I pointed it out to Cody and Jason.

Painted Anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 11.8m.

Painted Anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 11.7m.

I headed over towards the basket star to the rock where I'd seen an orange Red-fingered Anglerfish on 20 July. This was where George had said he'd spotted two earlier in the day. I found one straight away but had to look more closely to find the second one. I pointed them out to Jason.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.4m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.3m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12m.

I headed up to the basket star and then back down past Diversity Rock. I didn't look all that closely at Diversity Rock or the surrounding rocks but started on towards Big Rock.

Basket star, Astrosierra amblyconus. 11.9m.

I swam past the rock where the one-eyed White's Seahorse had been and on to the rock where I often see two Blotched Hawkfish. Not only were they both there, they were side-by-side.

Blotched Hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys aprinus. 12.2m.

I continued on towards Big Rock. I stopped at the rock just before Slope Rock where I sometimes see pygmy pipehorses. I spotted a reddish male (IL2019090701) and took some photographs. When Cody came up I pointed out the male and started to look for a female. I found her (IL2019090702) on the other side of the rock.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019090701). 13.9m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019090702). 13.8m.

I next checked out Hand Rock and the rock below it for pygmy pipehorses but found none. I swam over to Big Rock and looked there but saw nothing of interest. I turned and headed back towards The Steps. I hadn't gone far from Big Rock when I spotted a yellow female White's Seahorse. It is not often we see White's Seahorses this far out of the bay. I shall call her "Ouz". I hope she hangs around for a while.

Female White's Seahorse, Hippocampus whitei, ("Ouz"). 13.6m.

I swam back to the rock where I'd spotted the two pygmy pipehorses. Cody was showing the female to Jason. I beckoned Cody to come and see "Ouz" and I took him to see her.

I headed back past Jason and along the reef just up from the sand line. I had seen Red-fingered Anglerfish along here before. I didn't find any anglerfish but I did spot another orange scallop with blue eyes just like the one I saw at The Monument on my previous dive 7 weeks ago.

Scallop (Pectiniidae). 14m.

Scallop (Pectiniidae). 14.1m.

I continued to the rock where the white male pygmy pipehorse had been. Dom was there and pointed out the eggs of a White-ear. I took some photographs of the eggs and managed to get an adult in front of the eggs as well. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take any close-ups of the eggs.

Eggs of White-Ear, Parma microlepis. 12.6m.

White-Ear, Parma microlepis, with eggs. 12.5m.

I headed past the two orange Red-fingered Anglerfish and then the black Painted Anglerfish.

White-Ear, Parma microlepis, with eggs. 12.5m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.3m.

Painted Anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 11.8m.

I swam up to the large rock above Little Big Rock and took some more photographs of "Skye" and "David". I had a quick look for other seahorses but found none.

Female Pot-Bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Skye"). 11.9m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("David"). 11.7m.

I went back down to the sand line and swam along to "George" and took some more photographs.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("George"). 13.2m.

I followed the sand line towards Pipefishes Hole. I spotted the male Weedy Seadragon again who was still feeding. I looked for the juvenile that I had seen regularly since March but couldn't see it. (Cody told me after the dive that it had been there near the male).

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 12.9m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 13.1m.

I continued along the sand line to the rock where "Jodi" and "Stephen" had been and then cut in over the kelp to the rocks in front of the exit. The visibility dropped significantly here. I had a quick look for anglerfishes before heading to the boulders and starting my safety stop at Split Rock. I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit where I got out.

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