Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1756

Date

Tuesday 10 March 2020

Time

8:37am - 10:17am

Buddy

Natasha Smith

Seas

Slight current and some surge

Visibility

3 to 8 metres

Duration

100 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

13.3 m

Average depth

10.7 m

Water temperature

20.3°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

3:17am

0.28m

High

9:40am

1.99m

Low

4:07pm

0.15m

High

10:13pm

1.68m

Details

Today was my third dive with Natasha and we did The Monument. I was hoping to show her some more pygmy pipehorses and Red-fingered Anglerfish as well as hopefully White's Seahorses, Pot-bellied Seahorses and Weedy Seadragons.

We geared up without checking the conditions as I was confident they would be good. We walked to the rocks and then along the rocks to the protected area part way along to The Steps. There were small waves coming in over the shelf but I assured Natasha that it was way easier than it looked.

We waded out onto the shelf. The tide was that high that we were able to put our fins on before we got to the edge of the shelf. We then swam out over the edge. When we were ready, we descended and swam to the sand line. The visibility was over 5 metres and looked great. The water temperature was between 20 and 21°C. There was a gentle current and gentle surge. We turned left and headed towards Sutherland Point.

We followed the sand line and on the way to Block Rock I spotted a small Blotched Hawkfish in a Capnella colony. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Natasha although it dived under the Capnella.

I looked on the rock out from Block Rock for the pygmies I'd spotted on 2 February (before the storm). I was pleased to find the female (2020020202). I took some photographs, pointed it out to Natasha and looked for the male. I couldn't find him.

I checked out Block Rock and the adjacent sponge covered rock. I'm still hoping the seahorses will turn up on rocks like that. I found nothing.

We made our way to the wall, checking out rocks along the way. I looked at the square rock in Pygmy Playground and found two pygmies: a whiteish female and a pinkish male. I hadn't been able to find any last weekend so I was pleased there are still some in Pygmy Playground. I pointed them out to Natasha and started looking on the ledge.

I was hoping the two White's Seahorses I'd seen 9 days ago were still there but I couldn't find them. I did find an Okenia atkinsonorum nudibranch. When Natasha swam up I pointed it out to her. I then looked around the area for the seahorses. All I found was another O. atkinsonorum nudibranch.

We headed out into the kelp. I was hoping to find the Weedy Seadragon I often see there. It had been there 9 days ago. I wasn't able to find it.

We swam back to the reef and I looked around Slope Rock for pygmies and anglerfishes. I didn't find anything.

We went up to Seahorse Rock and did a loop. I was hoping to find some Nembrotha nudibranchs on the ascidians but they haven't been around for some time.

We descended to the reef proper and continued on to Split Rock. I looked under the crevice above Split Rock and saw one of the Upside-down Pipefish before it disappeared. I waited for Natasha and by the time I'd got her attention it had come out and hidden two more times. I indicated there was an Upside-down Pipefish and left Natasha to watch for it while I checked out Split Rock.

We followed the reef towards the point. I looked for and found the largish orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. It had move rocks since 9 days ago. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Natasha.

We continued along the reef to the rock where the Dendronephthya colony used to be. I looked on the next rock for the small grey Red-fingered Anglerfish. It was on the same rock but had moved maybe 10 centimetres. I pointed it out to Natasha and then moved on to Four Pygmies Rock.

I found the male pygmy on Four Pygmies Rock that I'd found on 1 March. I wasn't able to find the female. I pointed out the male to Natasha.

I headed up to the rocks above hoping the well camouflaged orange Red-fingered Anglerfish was still there. It was. It was in the same spot albeit facing the opposite way. I took some photographs and when Natasha swam up I pointed it out to her.

I was hoping we'd have time to visit Valley of the Pygmies but if we wanted to see the Pot-bellied Seahorses we'd have to go directly there. We swam to the top of the NW-SE wall and followed the top of it for a while. I spotted an octopus on the way and pointed it out.

We cut across the top of the reef to the rocks outside the corner and followed them to the corner. We didn't have time to look on the shelf for pygmies and swam straight to the seahorses. I found "Jose" on the main rock and after photographing him went off to look for the others. I was not able to find them.

We ascended the wall and started our safety stops as we swam along the top of the wall. We then headed south over the reef as it got shallower. On the way I spotted an Eastern Fiddler Ray but Natasha didn't see it.

We kept swimming until it was too shallow and then waded out over the rocks.