Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1757

Date

Wednesday 11 March 2020

Time

8:43am - 10:30am

Buddy

Natasha Smith

Seas

Moderate current and slight surge

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

106 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

21.9 m

Average depth

15.3 m

Water temperature

20.3°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at BotanyBay AEDT

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

Low

4:10am

0.25m

High

10:29am

1.94m

Low

4:50pm

0.17m

High

10:59pm

1.73m

Details

Today was my fourth and final dive with Natasha. I'd save The Leap until the last as the conditions had been improving with each day plus we'd maximise our time before high tide.

We dived with 15L tanks with Nitrox as we'd need more gas due to the deeper and longer dive and so we wouldn't have to worry about deco. I dived in my drysuit as I had been cold on the last 3 dives.

Conditions looked great when we arrived. The bay was much calmer than even yesterday. There were only small waves washing over the low platform. Lily arrived while we were getting ready and told us she'd be also diving The Leap with George and Di. We'd likely see them somewhere on the dive.

We geared up and walked down. The seas had come up a bit and there was the occasional wave washing over the shelf. We decided not to use the low platform for entry. Natasha leapt in from the shelf and I slid down the rocks.

We swam out on the surface before descending. The visibility looked great. We swam at around 60° towards the sand line. There was a bit of current from the incoming tide so I had to keep correcting our bearing. We arrived at the flat rock above First Rock. The visibility was over 10 metres. There was a moderate current and only gentle surge. The water temperature was between 20 and 21°C.

I swam over to First Rock and looked for pygmy pipehorses. I had to fight the current to stay in one place so I could search the rock. My search wasn't very thorough and I didn't find any pygmies. I also looked on the adjacent rocks without any luck.

We drifted along the sand line with the current. I checked out rocks for pygmies and also tube-building amphipods to show Natasha. I found nothing other than an adult Eastern Smooth Boxfish. I looked to Natasha to show her but I couldn't get her attention. I then spotted an Eastern Fiddler Ray out on the sand. I tried to get Natasha's attention but she was looking on rocks.

We continued to Seahorse Rock. I looked on the rock behind Seahorse Rock for pygmies. That was a bit of a challenge due the current. I didn't find any. The storm a month ago seems to have adversely affected the pygmies.

I swam on ahead to the overhang. I was hoping to see "Clyde", the Weedy Seadragon, who I hadn't seen since the storm. The female weedy was under the overhang and I took some photographs of her. I looked deeper into the overhang hoping "Clyde" would be there but I couldn't see him. I waited for Natasha to catch up and them pointed out the female under the overhang.

I looked near the overhang for the juvenile weedy I'd seen 11 days ago but couldn't see it.

I swam to the base of the next high rock and looked in the kelp. I spotted a juvenile weedy. I suspect it might have been the one I saw 11 days ago. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Natasha. While she was photographing it I noticed another smaller juvenile. When Natasha had finished with larger one I took photographs of the smaller one and pointed it out to her.

While Natasha was photographing the small weedy, I looked on the rock above for pygmy pipehorses. I found a white female. I took photographs and looked for a male but could not see one. I pointed the pygmy out.

We followed the sand line past Southern Cross Rock and into Seadragon Alley. We were half way through Seadragon Alley when I spotted another Eastern Fiddler Ray. I tried to get Natasha's attention but she was looking elsewhere. I moved closer and shot some video. When I checked on Natasha again she'd seen it but it swam off over the sand. I didn't see anything else noteworthy in Seadragon Alley but I noticed Natasha taking some photographs. At the end of Seadragon Alley I spotted a female Weedy Seadragon. As I was photographing it, Natasha found a male and pointed it out to me.

We followed the sand line to Big Rock. I looked on Big Rock for pygmies. I tried to indicate to Natasha that this was Big Rock.

We swam past Hand Rock, Slope Rock and on to Long Rock. I looked for pygmies but could not find any. I have seen a few on this rock since the storm so I'm not sure why I couldn't find any today.

We continued past Sponge Hollow and on to Diversity Rock. I looked on the long rock before Diversity Rock for the pygmies I have seen recently but found none. I also couldn't see any tube-building amphipods.

I swam up to the basket star took some photographs and pointed it out to Natasha. She now knew where we were.

I went over to the rock with the whiteish pygmy pipehorses. I was only able to find the male. I took some photographs and waited for Natasha. I pointed him out when she swam up.

I swam towards Little Big Rock. I wanted to find the black Painted Anglerfish. While I was looking, George swam up. He indicated he was also looking for the black anglerfish. We were still looking when Lily and Di swam up. I have Di a big hug. :)

George pointed out the small yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish that had been near the seahorses rock on Saturday. It had moved down near Little Big Rock. While waiting for Natasha to catch up I pointed it out to Di. I pointed it out to Natasha when she swam up.

I continued just above the sand line. I got to the rocks with Carijoa and noticed an Umbrella Snail. I then realised there was a second Umbrella Snail right next to it. I pointed it out to Natasha.

I swam up to the larger orange Red-fingered Anglerfish as George was showing it to Lily and Di. I took some photographs and waited for Natasha, pointing it out when she arrived.

I headed towards the sand line and spotted "Teardrop" on the sand from a long way away. That's how good the visibility was. I took some photographs of him and then waited for Natasha. While she was photographing "Teardrop" I looked in Pipefishes Hole. I briefly saw the Upside-down Pipefish but couldn't get any decent photographs. I waited for Natasha to finish photographing "Teardrop".

I was very low on air so I told Natasha we need to finish the dive. We swam straight up the reef to the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and swam towards Split Rock doing out safety stops. We finished the safety stops at Split Rock and then I swam on ahead underwater to the exit. The tide was high so I was able to swim right into the platform and stand up. I took my fins off and walked out to put my camera and fins down. I then walked back to help Natasha out. I grabbed her camera first and then went back to help her out.