Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1776

Date

Thursday 7 May 2020

Time

7:33am - 9:30am

Buddy

Emiko Kawamoto, Sharon, Natalia Gale, Greg Ryan

Seas

Strong current at times and moderate surge

Visibility

3 to 10 metres

Duration

117 minutes

Surface interval

 4 days 16:58 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.1 m

Average depth

11.4 m

Water temperature

19.3°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

1:54am

0.30m

High

7:58am

1.72m

Low

2:00pm

0.33m

High

8:24pm

1.97m

Details

I had a few people join me for this morning's dive at The Steps: Natalia asked to come along and brought Greg with her. I invited Emiko and she brought Sharon.

The conditions looked great with no much swell and the water looked clear. We geared up and walked down. It was only 30 minutes before high tide so the water level was quite high. This made it much easier to jump in and put our fins on in the water. Even though it was before high tide there appeared to be a surface current running out of the bay.

We descended and headed to the kelp. The visibility was around 10 metres. The water temperature was between 19 and 20°C. There was no current and very little surge.

We missed the usual rocks in front of the entry because we had drifted but that was OK as I wanted to look for the Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd spotted last Saturday. I got to the rocks but couldn't find it. I headed to the sand line where the others were photographing a Green Turtle near Jodi's Rock. I don't think I've seen a turtle at Kurnell since September 2018 so it was a pleasant surprise.

I swam over Jodi's Rock and headed along the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. I spotted "Teardrop", the male Weedy Seadragon, just before Pipefishes Hole. I took some photographs and then Natalia and Greg swam up. I looked in Pipefishes Hole but I could not see any pipefishes.

I headed up the reef to Di's Rock and then headed south-east to the rock where the grey Red-fingered Anglerfish has been. I took some photographs and when Natalia swam up I pointed it out to her.

I continued south-east to the black Painted Anglerfish. It was still on the same sponge it had been on Saturday and the previous Sunday. Natalia caught up to me and I pointed it out.

I headed down to Little Big Rock and looked over it for anything of interest but found nothing.

I followed the reef just above the sand line to near Diversity Rock. I looked on the rock where I have seen pygmy pipehorses of late and spotted the male. I took some photographs and started to look for the female. I hadn't seen her last Saturday. Just as I spotted her Natalia swam up so I pointed out both pygmies. I photographed the female while Natalia photographed the male.

I swam over to near the basket star to look for the red male pygmy pipehorse that Cody found a couple of weeks ago. I found him and took some photographs. I quickly took a couple of photographs of the basket star and then looked for and found the cryptic female. I pointed them both out to Natalia.

Greg called me back to the crevice above the previous pygmies. He'd spotted an Upside-down Pipefish. I looked in the crevice but couldn't see them. By now everyone had caught up plus the current had suddenly increase inextricably and so there was a lot of particulate matter in the water in front of the crevice. I figured it would be better to check it out when I came back, later in the dive.

I headed towards the sand line to the flattish rock where there has been a pair of pygmies. I couldn't find the female last Saturday. I initially couldn't find either until I eventually found the female. I then searched for and found the male. After photographing them I pointed them out to Emiko and Natalia.

I looked around the area near New Basket Star Rock and farther south-east for the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish Mike had shown me two weeks ago. I hadn't seen it last Saturday and I still couldn't find it today.

I drifted with the strong current to Sponge Hollow and then on to the rock near High Pygmy Rock where the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish had been Sunday before last. I hadn't seen it last Saturday and I couldn't find it today.

I dropped down to the rock north-west of Long Rock. I found the male pygmy. He's very pregnant. I looked for and found the female. Natalia and Emiko swam up and I pointed them out. While Natalia was photographing the pygmies, Greg told me that he had Natalia were going to turn around. I suggested they stay a little longer and I could show them another anglerfish.

I took them to where I'd seen the grey Red-fingered Anglerfish on Thursday and it was still in the same spot. I took some photographs and let them have a go. I was hoping to also show them the small pink Red-fingered Anglerfish I'd found on Saturday but it had moved. They left. The current was still quite strong.

I continued to look for the small pink anglerfish. Emiko and Sharon swam up and I pointed out the grey anglerfish and continued my search. I spotted a large Reaper Cuttlefish and then a small one.

After searching for 14 minutes I finally spotted the pink anglerfish. It wasn't far from where it had been on Saturday but I'd forgotten how small it was. While I was photographing it, Emiko and Sharon were photographing the Thornback Cowfish I'd seen in the area on Saturday. When I got their attention I pointed out the pink anglerfish. I then took some photographs of the cowfish. Emiko and Sharon bade me farewell and I continued the dive on my own.

I looked on the sand above the reef for the red algae which the Red Stigs like. There used to be a lot of this algae around but today I was only able to find a few clumps. None of them had pipefish. The current had slackened.

I headed back to the reef and again looked for the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish. I stayed high on the reef and checked out the rocks on the sand. I then came back via New Basket Star Rock and Miamira Rock to the flattish rock and the two pygmies there.

I went to the basket star again and the two pygmies next to it. I also checked out the other pair of pygmies.

I tried to look in the crevice where Greg had seen the Upside-down Pipefish but I just couldn't get low enough to see in.

I swam slowly towards the Skye's Rock. There wasn't much current now and it was quite easy going. I checked on the black Painted Anglerfish. It really is quite big now but almost impossible to photograph.

I continued along the top of the reef to the grey Red-fingered Anglerfish and took some more photographs.

I headed straight to the sand line from here to look for more Weedy Seadragons and perhaps ghostpipefishes. I followed the sand line towards Pipefishes Hole and came across "Teardrop" again. He was on the other side of the kelp from Pipefishes Hole.

I continued along the sand line to Jodi's Rock and expected to see the turtle but it had gone. I headed up the reef to where I'd seen the large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish last Saturday but still couldn't find it.

I swam to the rocks in front of the entry/exit and looked for anglerfishes. After a bit of a sweep I found a large yellow Red-fingered Anglerfish. I suspect it was the same one I saw last Saturday and it had moved.

I headed for the boulders and did my safety stop at Split Rock. As I was heading for the exit, I spotted a juvenile Orangeblotch Surgeonfish. I stopped to take some photographs before continuing to the exit.