Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1764

Date

Friday 3 April 2020

Time

1:37pm - 3:18pm

Buddy

Matt Smith

Seas

Moderate current and slight surge

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

101 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

12.3 m

Average depth

9.8 m

Water temperature

19.0°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

4:38am

1.59m

Low

11:33am

0.53m

High

5:42pm

1.28m

Low

11:16pm

0.69m

Details

While we still have no clarity about being allowed to dive, we know that fishing and golfing is allowed under the restrictions and so it is logical to assume that diving, which has far less contact and interaction, should also be allowed. I will continue to dive until told not too.

Matt joined me today. He was set up for macro with his snoot for some pygmy pipehorse photographs. I suspected I'd be able to find him some.

I didn't check my fill when I set up my gear as I filled the tank myself and know it had between 220 and 230 bar. When we go to the entry point (my usual spot between Sutherland Point and The Steps) I discovered I only had 190 bar. I have to assume that I lost the air walking down from the car park. I'd have to take it very easy on the dive if I wanted to check out the Pot-bellied seahorses.

We waded out over the shelf. The water was just over our knees. We dropped off the edge of the shelf and put our fins on. The visibility on the surface did not look great but once we descended and swam to the sand line it opened out and was up to 10 metres. The water temperature was between 19 and 20°, a little cooler than Wednesday. There was moderate current and only slight surge. We turned left and headed towards Sutherland Point.

We drifted with the current along the sand line. I was checking the rocks for pygmies and seahorses. On the last rock before the wall I looked for the Lamellaria australis snail I'd seen yesterday but I couldn't find it.

We continued along the wall to Pygmy Playground where I found the pinkish male and whiteish female pygmy pipehorses in the purple sponges on the side of the square rock. I took some photographs and then pointed them out to Matt but they were not in a good spot for him to photograph them.

We followed the wall and I had a look out in the kelp for Weedy Seadragons but found none.

We went up over the wall and I looked for the small white female pygmy pipehorse John had shown me on Sunday. There was an orange sponge behind it so it was quite easy to find the spot. I took some photographs and then showed Matt.

While Matt was photographing the pygmy, I went looking for more pygmies in the area. I didn't find any so I continued on to where I'd see the purple male on Wednesday, knowing that Matt could catch up. On the way I spotted an Elysia sp. sea hare and an octopus. I found the rock and the exact spot it had been on Wednesday but the pink female was in that spot. I looked all over the rock and the adjacent rocks but I could not find it. I did find a cryptic female. When Matt caught up I pointed out the pygmies.

As Matt was photographing the pink female pygmy pipehorse I went up to the crevice above Split Rock to look for the Upside-Down Pipefish. I managed to catch a glimpse of them a couple of times and took a few photographs. I waited for Matt to finish with the pygmy and I took him up to show the Upside-down Pipefish but he couldn't see them.

We drifted to the large orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. Its eggs were clearly visible today. I took some photographs and pointed it out to Matt.

We continued along the reef to Four Pygmies Rock. I looked around the area for the small grey Red-fingered Anglerfish from a few weeks ago but couldn't see it. I looked on Four Pygmies Rock for the White's Seahorse I'd seen on Wednesday but it was gone. I initially didn't see the male pygmy. i spotted the female and then saw the male. I took some photographs and then pointed them out to Matt.

While Matt was photographing the pygmies I swam up to the well camouflaged Red-fingered Anglerfish. like the orange one, its eggs were clearly visible. I then swam around the area while waiting for Matt. Once I got down to 70 bar I told Matt I wanted to go see the seahorses so I left him there to make his own way out.

I swam to the top of the wall and then across the reef and followed the shallower wall along to the corner. I looked in the Carijoa on the shelf and spotted the white male pygmy. The female was still missing. I took some photographs and continued.

I followed the base of the wall to the area where the three older Pot-bellied Seahorses had been. I did a quick sweep of the area before continuing to the area where the new seahorses are.

I continued to the area where the new Pot-bellied Seahorses have been. I found "Adam" on the red sponge in the white honeycomb sponges where he'd been on Wednesday. As I was heading towards the sea tulips where "Sunny" had been on Wednesday I spotted "Starlight", the female, in some kelp on the sand. I was so glad she's still around. "Sunny" was still in the sea tulips and "Harry" was on the same rock I've seen him on since Sunday. So cool! Four Pot-bellied Seahorses.

I was very low on air by now so I ascended the wall and started my safety stop. I headed west along the top of the wall and then turned south over the kelp. I kept heading south until it was too shallow. I waded out through the channel in front of the flagpoles.