Dive at The Steps, Kurnell, NSW on Saturday 6 March 2021

Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1883

Date

Saturday 6 March 2021

Time

11:01am - 1:06pm

Seas

Strong current and surge

Visibility

3 to 10 metres

Duration

125 minutes

Surface interval

1 day 22:14 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

13.5 m

Average depth

10.3 m

Water temperature

23.3°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

High

2:41am

1.63m

Low

9:26am

0.54m

High

3:20pm

1.24m

Low

9:06pm

0.64m

Details

The forecast today was for 3-4 metre southerly swell. Sometimes that sort of swell can blow out Kurnell but other times the impact can be not all that great. I needed to dive this weekend and tomorrow's forecast was not all that different so I decided I would check out The Steps. If an entry was possible, I'd jump in here and drift to The Monument. If not, I'd drive to The Monument and enter there. Worst case I knew I could get in by the flagpoles.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the swell at The Steps was not to bad and certainly a safe entry could be made. Most of the time it was relatively calm but every now and then a large set of waves would hit the entry. With the tide being relatively low, these larger waves would suck out all the water from the entry and then dump it back. The entry would have to be well timed. I definitely would not want to risk an exit here. While I was gearing up a few other divers arrived but did not feel confident and went to The Monument instead. Amongst them was someone from Abyss who had planned to take a group of Open Water divers to The Leap but thought better of it.

When got ready I watched the entry and waited for the calm. I jumped in and quickly pushed out before putting my fins on to make sure I was away from the entry and the impact for the larger waves. It was actually a very easy entry. I swam out on the surface before descending.

I descended to the edge of the boulders and my next pleasant surprise was the visibility. It was at least 5 metres and probably closer to 10. The surge was very strong and it was whipping up sand and other particulate matter into the water column but it still looked quite clear. The water temperature was around 23°C.

I veered left and then turned right. Even though I would go to The Monument, I thought I'd go as far as the pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish before heading to The Monument. I also wanted to look for Baby and the other juvenile Weedy Seadragon.

I swam slowly past Baby's location. It was tough going with both the surge and fairly strong current. I could not find Baby. At the next area of kelp past Baby's location I spotted to other juvenile Weedy. They were close to the sand but in the kelp. Photographing them was not easy due to the surge.

Juvenile Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 11.5m.

Juvenile Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 11.2m.

I continued along the sand line looking for Nadiah along the way. I got to the first rock where I'd found two pygmy pipehorses here on Thursday and was keen to find them again. Just looking was difficult due to the surge. I found the female (IL2021030402) but it was almost impossible to photograph her because the surge was dragging both me and her. I couldn't find the male.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021030402). 11.2m.

I headed towards Jodi's Rock. I had a quick look on the way where I'd found some pygmies at the end of last year (and spotted on last Saturday). I didn't find any.

I swam past Jodi's Rock to the patch of red algae where the pipefish have been. They were in the algae I usually see them. Like with the pygmy pipehorse, photographing them was nearly impossible. They were swaying back and forth with the surge and i was also being thrown around. At least I was able to verify they were both still there and should be able to ride out the rough conditions.

Pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 12m.

I turned and headed back the way id come. I looked for the pygmy I'd just seen on my way but could not find it. Similarly, I was not able to find the juvenile Weedy again. I swam slowly over Baby's location but still could not find them. Perhaps they were sheltering from the surge.

I drifted with the current, but fought the surge, to the entry and beyond. Not far past Baby's location I found a weedy. I found two more before I reached the reef on the other side of the entry.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 9.2m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 9.4m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 9.6m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 9.3m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 9.1m.

I headed along the sand line at the edge of the reef towards Sutherland Point. I kept one eye on the sand for weedies and red algae and the other on the rocks hoping to find anglerfishes. I checked out a lot of the red algae along the way. I probably would have been more thorough if the surge had not been so bad.

I continued along the sand line until I recognised the rock where I'd spotted the female Red Wide-bodied Pipefish last Sunday. I looked in the alga and found the pipefish was still there. Photographing her was very difficult due to the surge.

Female Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 10.9m.

I swam with the current along the reef towards where I had found the juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish last Sunday. On the way I checked the rock where Mandy had found the orange Red-fingered Anglerfish but it was not where it had been. I looked on the surrounding rocks but could not see it.

I looked in the algae for the juvenile pipefish. I initially didn't see it and spotted it in the next alga. I was pleased to see it was still around. Again photography was difficult. While I was there two divers swam by, one a lot closer than I thought was good etiquette.

Juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 11.4m.

Juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 11.2m.

Juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 11.3m.

Juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii. 11.2m.

I continued to Block Rock looking for Red-fingered Anglerfish, pygmy pipehorses and Red Wide-bodied Pipefish along the way. I looked for seahorses on Block Rock and the adjacent sponge covered rock. I looked in the rock on the sand for the small grey Red-fingered Anglerfish that Mandy had found last Sunday. I couldn't see it. I checked the next rock for pygmies but found none.

I swam up behind Honey's Rock and checked the sponges for seahorses. I then checked near the sea tulips on the rock directly behind Honey's Rock for the large grey Red-fingered Anglerfish that Mandy found last Sunday. It had moved from where it had been last week but was still there. As I was photographing the anglerfish, Lena swam up. I pointed it out to her. It took her a bit to see it. Nico swam up too and I pointed it out to him.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10m.

Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus. 10.3m.

I left Lena and Nico had headed along the wall. I checked the red algae for pipefish and continued to Pygmy Playground. I looked for the pair of pygmy pipehorses that we'd found last Sunday (Mandy had found the female and I had spotted the male) but could not see either one. The surge was still strong here making just looking difficult.

I headed to the rock at the other end of Pygmy Playground to where if found the pink female last Sunday. I spotted a pink male (IL2021030601) first and then the pink female (IL2021022801). I looked on the rock above and spotted the two (IL2021022804, IL2021022805) that I'd seen last Sunday.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021030601). 11.9m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021022801). 11.7m.

Female Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021022805). 11.6m.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021022804). 11.2m.

I drifted along the wall and on to Carijoa Rock. I hadn't looked here last Sunday but it always was a good spot for pygmies. I dropped down on the northern side of the rock out of the current. I spotted a red male pygmy (IL2021030602). While I was looking for a female a large group of divers swam by. Most of them were using there arms so I assume they were the group of Open Water divers from Abyss that decided against diving The Leap.

Male Sydney Pygmy Pipehorse, Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri, (IL2021030602). 12.1m.

I headed up the reef past slope rock. I looked on the rocks for anglerfishes and also tried to find the golden male pygmy pipehorse I'd found last Sunday only I didn't remember which rock it was on.

I continued to Split Rock and looked for Mandy. I found her quite quickly even though she wasn't in the same sponge I'd seen her last Sunday. While I was photographing her, the group of divers who had swum by me earlier swam back to other way. I looked on the rock for a male but only found the Dwarf Lionfish which wasn't in a good spot for being photographed. The surge was still bad here. I noticed a Weedy Seadragon on the sand just down from Split Rock.

Female Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Mandy"). 11.5m.

Female Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Mandy"). 11.4m.

Female Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Mandy"). 11.5m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 12.4m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 12.7m.

I headed along the reef towards Sutherland Point and checked out the usual rocks for anglerfishes and pygmy pipehorses. Near the rock with the single sea tulip I spotted another Weedy Seadragon. I looked on the rock where I'd seen the Red-fingered Anglerfish mating a few years ago hoping there'd be a anglerfish in the hole but there wasn't.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 12.7m.

I swam along to Valley of the Pygmies. I spotted a Weedy Seadragon on the sand below the main rock there. I had a quick look for pygmies but didn't have a whole lot of time as I was starting to run low on gas.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 13.2m.

Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 13.1m.

I headed to the rocks at the foot of the SE-NW wall. I looked in the orange finger sponges and spotted a small male Pot-Bellied Seahorse. I had heard there was one somewhere at The Monument but I didn't know where. I assume this is him. I will name him Ben. I had a quick look for others but needed to keep moving.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Ben"). 12m.

Male Pot-bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, ("Ben"). 12.1m.

I continued along the wall and then cut up near the end and swam across to the start of the East-West Wall. I looked on the shelf for for pygmies. Last time I'd been here the Carijoa had been overgrown with an orange sponge but the sponge was all gone and the Carijoa was exposed. I couldn't see any pygmies but didn't have a lot of time to look.

I followed the base of the wall to the west. I looked in the orange finger sponges and sea tulips along the way for seahorses. I particularly looked in the spots I have previously seen seahorses. I also noticed a of red algae but didn't have time to properly check them out for pipefish.

I kept going as far as the rock at the base of the wall where Mandy had found a pair of pygmies a few years ago. I then ascended the wall and swam along the top of the wall to the break in the kelp. I turned south-west and followed the rock shelf. I spotted a medium-sized Giant Cuttlefish in on of the crevices.

Eye of a Giant Cuttlefish, Sepia apama. 5.1m.

At the end of the rock shelf I turned south and swam to the beach. I surfaced just out from the channel in the rocks and waded out.

Camera gear

Camera

Nikon D500

Lens

Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED

Housing

Ikelite 6812.5

Lens port

Ikelite Flat Port 5502.41

Strobe(s)

2 x Ikelite SubStrobe DS161