Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1811

Date

Wednesday 5 August 2020

Time

7:49am - 9:59am

Seas

Slight current and some surge

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

130 minutes

Surface interval

 2 days 22:5 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.8 m

Average depth

11.5 m

Water temperature

15.6°C
                                       

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

3:34am

0.34m

High

9:31am

1.38m

Low

3:05pm

0.53m

High

9:34pm

1.81m

Details

Today was the best day from a forecast perspective although with high tide was at around 9:30am which meant the best conditions would be from 7:30-9:30am and so it meant an early start. When I arrived it looked a bit choppy on the surface due to the wind but there did not appear to be much swell.

I jumped in, put my fins on, and swam out on the surface. I descended over Split Rock and down to the sand. The visibility was at least 5 metres with some particulate matter in the water. There was very little surge and the water temperature was around 16°C.

I swam past the rocks looking for anglerfishes and through to the kelp to the sand line. I turned right and headed towards Big Rock. There was a slight current but it was not difficult to swim against,

I looked carefully for Weedy Seadragons and Red-fingered Anglerfish on my way to Jodi's Rock. I didn't find any but just after Jodi's Rock I spotted a Rosy Weedfish.

I continued along the sand line to Pipefishes Hole and still did not find any Weedy Seadragons. I was keen to check on "Lily", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, so I quickly checked the kelp just past Pipefishes Hole before heading up the reef. This is where "Teardrop" usually hangs out but he was not there.

I checked Di's Rock in case "Lily" had moved there but there were no seahorses there. I then checked the sea tulips where I had seen "Lily" on Sunday but she wasn't there. I made my way slowly around the rock until I reached the sea tulips on the other side of the rock and found her there. Hopefully she hangs around and attracts some males.

I headed back to the sand line in the hope of finding Weedy Seadragons. I followed the sand line to Little Big Rock and checked the rocks on the way for Red-fingered Anglerfish as well as keeping an eye on the sand line for Weedy Seadragons.

I swam to Skye's Rock and noticed "Helen", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, in the sea tulips on the rock just below Skye's Rock. She was feeding which is always fun to watch.

I headed down to Little Big Rock and looked over the rock but found nothing of interest. I followed the reef just above the sand line to just before Diversity Rock and then headed up to the basket star. I saw nothing of interest along the way.

From the basket star I swam towards the shore over the sand to the large algal clump where the female Red Wide-bodied Pipefish has been. On the way I checked the smaller algal clumps for pipefish and spotted an Eastern Cleaner Clingfish in one of the alga,

At the large algal clump I spotted the female Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. She was moving around in the algal clump. I looked for a male but couldn't see one.

I headed back towards the sand line. I headed past New Basket Start Rock and looked it over for Red-fingered Anglerfish. From here I went to the rock where I'd found "Ash", the black Painted Anglerfish, on Sunday. It was still on the red chimney sponge.

I continued towards the sand line to the two pink pygmy pipehorses. I spotted the male first and then the female.

I started towards Big Rock when I spotted a Weedy Seadragon down on the sand. This made 4 species of syngnathids for the dive.

I swam back up the reef to the rock where the small black Painted Anglerfish has been. It was low down on the rock.

I continued along the reef towards Big Rock to the white male and pink female pygmy pipehorses. I initially couldn't find either of them but then found the male and finally the female.

I moved on to the next rock. I went straight down to the sea tulips at the base of the rock to see if "Britt", the Pot-bellied Seahorse, was still there. She was. How cool to have three female Pot-bellied seahorses around.

I looked for the pygmy pipehorses on the rock. I found the brown male but could not find the grey male near him. I found the cryptic male lower on the rock. I also found a tube-building amphipod.

I continued towards Big Rock. I stopped at the rock with the two blue sponges to look for the pygmy pipehorse I'd found on Sunday. I couldn't see it today.

I swam past the base of Big Rock and headed to the kelp where I had been seeing the male Weedy Seadragon with the short appendages. I hadn't seen him there on Saturday or Sunday but he was there today in his usual spot. I think it is amazing that he keeps finding his way back to that spot. He still has his eggs.

I turned and headed back towards The Steps. I swam back with the current slightly higher up the reef. I found another Weedy Seadragon which looks to be a female.

I swam above Big Rock and looked in all the red algae for my Red Wide-bodied Pipefish and also Weedy Seadragons. I also checked the usual rocks for pygmy pipehorses.

I got back to "Britt" who was still in the same spot. I took some more photographs and moved on.

I visited the pygmy pipehorses on the way back but did not take any photographs. I stopped at the small black Painted Anglerfish and took some more photographs. I also visited "Ash".

I moved towards the sand line as i continued on to Little Big Rock. I spotted a Reaper Cuttlefish on the way. I headed up to Skye's Rock and found "Helen" in the grey sponge.

I stayed high on the reef as I headed towards the exit. I was looking for Red-fingered Anglerfish. I have not seen any since the previous East Coast Low.

"Lily" was still in the sea tulips where she'd been at the start of the dive. I took a few more photographs of her before heading via Di's Rock to Pipefishes Hole and the sand line. I had another look for "Teardrop" in the kelp near Pipefishes Hole.

I headed for the exit just up from the sand line. That way I could look for Red-fingered Anglerfish on the rocks and Weedy Seadragons on the sand.

I swam over Jodi's Rock and continued to the rocks in front of the entry/exit. I looked on the rocks for anglerfishes but found none.

I still had some air left so I swam around the kelp in the larger area around the entry/exit in the hope of finding "Teardrop" or other Weedy Seadragons. While I was looking, I spotted a female Pot-bellied Seahorse. This was the fourth for the dive and the fourth new seahorse in as many weeks. I shall call her "Nadiah". As she's in the kelp I don't know where she'll end up.

I swam around the kelp some more and came across a male Weedy Seadragon with eggs. It was a little difficult photographing him in the kelp but I managed it.

I ascended to Split Rock and started my safety stop. I then swam underwater to the exit. A few small waves made my exit a little difficult but it wasn't too bad.