Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1896

Date

Sunday 11 April 2021

Time

7:16am - 9:20am

Seas

Slight current and almost no surge

Visibility

5 to 10 metres

Duration

124 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

14.8 m

Average depth

11.9 m

Water temperature

18°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

1:45am

0.52m

High

7:54am

1.62m

Low

2:07pm

0.45m

High

8:18pm

1.62m

Details

Conditions were pretty poor yesterday and I was hesitant to dive again today, especially as it required an early start. Both the Bureau of Meteorology and MagicSeaweed forecasts suggested that today would be much better with just a southerly swell. I took a chance and was very pleasantly surprised when I arrived. The bay was much calmer than yesterday and the entry/exit was also much better.

I got in around half an hour before high tide and, like yesterday, I put my fins on before jumping in. I swam out on the surface and was little disappointed with the visibility of the surface water. I descended to the edge of the boulders. I hit a thermocline on the way down and the visibility improved. It was at least 5 metres. There was very little surge which was a relief after yesterday. The water temperature was around 20°C.

I veered to the left around the outside of the kelp before turning right along the sand line. I swam over Baby's location but did not find them even after a couple of passes.

I headed to the next patch of kelp and started to look for PJ's baby weedy. I found them quite quickly and started to take photographs. I had taken a few photographs and was about to move to the sand to get shots from their other side when I noticed a 1.5 metre wobbegong on the sand only a metre from the Weedy. To be safe I headed to the rock above to look for Alex's pygmies.

I looked all over the rock and could not find the white female pygmy that Alex had shown me on Good Friday. I did find the red male. I looked over the rock again but couldn't find any other pygmies.

I looked back down to the sand and the wobbegong had moved - not very far but far enough to be safe. I swam down and noticed two small weedies swimming together. One was PJ's baby and I suspected the other was the same one Mandy and I saw on Good Friday. (It turns out the other one was Baby, both today and on Good Friday!) I made sure I got good identification photographs of both weedies before moving on.

I swam along the sand line towards Jodi's Rock. I stopped at the rocks where I've seen pygmies before and had a look. I spotted a dark male low down on the back rock. I looked for others but found none.

I continued past Jodi's Rock and on to Pipefishes Hole. I checked the red algae along the way for pipefish but found none. I looked in the Pipefishes Hole and spotted two Sawtooth Pipefish. The mysids haven't come back so I was able to get some ok photographs - at least what I can get given the size of the hole.

I headed up to the new pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish which were in their algae as usual. They were much easier to photograph today as there was much less surge.

I swam over to Noel&Di's Rock and spotted Cam in the sea tulips. He seems to be in those sea tulips almost every time and is only elsewhere on the rock occasionally.

I headed up to Di's Rock. I spotted Lily quite quickly. I looked around on the rock in case she'd attracted another male but found no other seahorses.

I swam to Lily's Rock and was relieved to find Tom Thumb in the sea tulips on the side of the rock. The last few dives I've had to search for him.

I headed back to the sand line and then followed the sand line towards Little Big Rock. I checked the red algae along the way. I stopped at the rock 5 metres before Little Big Rock and looked for the pygmies there. I spotted the red male and his cryptic partner. I looked on top of the rock for the other female but couldn't find her. I had seen her yesterday and last Monday. I looked on the side of the rock near the yellow sponge patch and spotted the other male.

I swam to the rock just before Little Big Rock where I have been seeing the male Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. He was in the alga under the kelp. I took a bunch of photographs including getting his ventral surface.

I headed up to Skye's Rock. I spotted Helen on the side of the rock. I found Little Richard and Tiny Tim nearby. After I'd taken photographs of the seahorses I noticed Paula and George swim up. I motioned to Paula to follow me down to the Red Wide-bodied Pipefish and pointed him out to her. I signalled to George and he swam down to us and I pointed out the pipefish.

I swam behind Little Big Rock and back down to the sand line. I looked in the red algae along the sand line until I got to Diversity Rock. I looked in the kelp in front of Diversity Rock and found the juvenile Weedy I'd found yesterday. Conditions were so much better today for photographing them.

I could see Paula and George much shallower than me and at least 10 metres away. I then realised how good the visibility was. I wanted to show them the Weedy but they'd found two Red-fingered Anglerfish they wanted to show me so I swam up to them. There was an orange one and a grey one on the same rock. I took photographs of the anglerfish and asked Paula and George to follow me to Diversity Rock to show them the Weedy.

I headed up to the rock up from Diversity Rock where I've been seeing pygmies. I have been seeing a pair but today I could only find the male.

I swam past the basket star on their new sponge and on to Ash. Ash has been on the same rock for the last few weeks and is huge now. I first spotted them in July 2019 so it's only 3 months away from two years they have been around. While I was there Paula swam up so I pointed out Ash.

I went over to the rock that had the two pink pygmies last year. George was on the next rock photographing a boxfish. I looked for the female pygmy I spotted on Good Friday. I couldn't find her on Monday and didn't look yesterday. I found her today. After taking a few photographs I pointer her out to George. I then pointed to Ash.

I headed back towards the exit below Diversity Rock and took some more photographs of the juvenile Weedy.

I continued along the sand line to just past Little Big Rock checking for pipefish along the way. I stopped at the solitary male Red Wide-bodied Pipefish on the way for a few more photographs.

I followed the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. I was surprised as to how gentle the current was especially compared to yesterday. I looked in Pipefishes Hole and spotted one of the Sawtooth Pipefish.

I revisited the pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish for some more photographs.

I swam along the sand line past Jodi's Rock and on to the kelp in front of the exit. I looked for the juvenile weedies but could not see them. I checked out Alex's pygmy rock again and could still only find the red male.

I had a bit of air left and so did a sweep of Baby's location (not realising I'd already seen Baby earlier). I then headed for the boulders and Split Rock for my safety stop. George and Paula swam up while I was there. They left and I was a couple of minutes behind them. I swam underwater to the exit and got out on the shelf. It was an easy exit but George helped me with my camera.