Dive at The Leap, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 14 December 2019

Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1732

Date

Saturday 14 December 2019

Time

8:33am - 10:39am

Buddy

Ron Walsh

Seas

Strong current at times and mild surge

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

126 minutes

Surface interval

5 days 14:53 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

22.1 m

Average depth

14.2 m

Water temperature

16.0°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

3:55am

0.47m

High

10:28am

1.89m

Low

5:11pm

0.28m

High

11:09pm

1.34m

Details

Ron joined me for today's dive at The Leap. Ron was diving with a 12.2L tank and I had my 5L pony so I'd be staying for 10-20 minutes longer than Ron.

There was water over the low platform so we slid down the wall and swam out on the surface. We descended and headed at around 60° towards the sand line. We arrived in the amphitheatre near the sponge covered rock after Pygmy Rock. The visibility was between 10 and 15 metres. The water temperature was only 16°C. The current was quite strong and there was mild surge.

We turned towards The Steps. We hadn't gone far when I spotted a Weedy Seadragon. I stopped to take photographs and Ron went on ahead.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 21.9m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 22m.

I looked on the first rock in the Field of Pygmies. I haven't seen pygmies here for months but I was ever hopeful. I was in luck. I spotted a male (IL2019121401). I looked around and spotted a female (IL2019121402). I was so pleased to finally see some pygmies here.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019121401). 21.3m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019121401). 21.4m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019121402). 21.3m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019121402). 21.4m.

We swam on towards Seahorse Rock. I spotted a sub-adult Weedy Seadragon, a Green Moray, and a Reaper Cuttlefish along the way.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 21.5m.

Green Moray, Gymnothorax prasinus. 21.7m.

Reaper Cuttlefish, Sepia mestus. 20.1m.

I looked on the rock behind Seahorse Rock for the red male pygmy pipehorse I have seen there recently but was not able to find it.

I continued on to the overhang where I caught up with Ron again. "Clyde" wasn't under the overhang but Ron pointed out the female who in the kelp nearby.

We continued past Southern Cross Rock and on into Seadragon Alley. I spotted another Weedy Seadragon.

We followed the sand line to Big Rock. I looked around Big Rock before continuing to Long Rock. I only found one male pygmy pipehorse (IL2019112401) on Long Rock.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019112401). 14.2m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019112401). 14.3m.

I continued to the Doughboy Scallop and then up to the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish with eggs. I pointed the anglerfish out to Ron. I looked for eggs but couldn't see any.

Doughboy Scallop, Mimachlamys asperrima. 14.3m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.8m.

I headed to the rock with the pair of pink pygmies. The male (IL2019100601) was on the side of the rock and the female (IL2019100503) was on top. I pointed them out to Ron and then he had to leave me.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019100601). 13.8m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2019100503). 13.6m.

As I was swimming towards Diversity Rock I spotted a pair of Okenia sp. nudibranchs that were mating.

Nudibranch, Okenia atkinsonorum. 13.6m.

I headed up to the basket star and then looked for and found the black Painted Anglerfish on the rock it has been lately.

Basket star, Astrosierra amblyconus. 12.5m.

Painted Anglerfish, Antennarius pictus. 12.3m.

I swam on to the seahorses. I found "David" in the purple sponge on the side of the rock. "Syke" was in a more exposed position on the rock. "George" was low down on the rock as usual.

Female Pot-Bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Skye"). 12.6m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("David"). 12.4m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("George"). 12.6m.

I headed along the top of the reef to Di's Rock and spotted a Reaper Cuttlefish along the way.

Reaper Cuttlefish, Sepia mestus. 11.4m.

I dropped down to Pipefishes Hole but found nothing in the hole. "Teardrop" was nearby and I took some photographs of him and his eggs.

Eggs on the tail of a male Weedy seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, ("Teardrop"). 13.5m.

Weedy seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, ("Teardrop"). 13.3m.

I followed the sand line to the rock where the Pot-bellied Seahorses had been last year. The orange Red-fingered Anglerfish was on the rock as it had been last weekend when Leah and John showed me.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 12.4m.

I swam to the rocks in front of the exit. I looked around for anglerfish and found an orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. I also spotted an egg of a Crested Horn Shark.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.5m.

Egg of a Crested Horn Shark, Heterodontus galeatus. 10.9m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.7m.

I ascended to Split Rock and 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(s)

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161