Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1897

Date

Thursday 15 April 2021

Time

7:41am - 9:49am

Buddy

Lynne Tuck

Seas

Slight current and almost no surge

Visibility

2 to 4 metres

Duration

128 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

14.6 m

Average depth

11.9 m

Water temperature

19°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

Low

4:16am

0.52m

High

10:16am

1.40m

Low

4:00pm

0.60m

High

10:26pm

1.69m

Details

After the great dive on Sunday and great conditions forecast for today I was back at The Steps. Lynne joined me today. The conditions looked fabulous again and I anticipated a great dive.

We jumped in and swam out on the surface. Lynne remarked ordinary the water looked in the shallows. I assured her it was like this on Sunday and would be better at depth. We descended to the edge of the boulders. I was expecting the visibility to improve as we descended but it didn't. It was only 2-4m with a lot of particulate matter. The good thing was there was basically no surge. The water temperature was around 19°.

We veered left before turning right around the kelp and swam along the sand line. I had a good look for Baby as we headed over their location but didn't find them. I looked over the next area of kelp and spotted PJ's baby weedy. I took a few identification photographs and let Lynne have a go. I looked around for Baby who was in this area on Sunday but could not find them.

I swam up to Alex's pygmy rock. I spotted the red male almost immediately and then looked for others and spotted a small cryptic female. Lynne swam up and I pointed out the two pygmies. I had another look around the kelp for juvenile Weedy Seadragons and found a small octopus. I moved on slowly so I wouldn't get too far away from Lynne.

We headed along the sand line towards Jodi's Rock. I stopped at the rock on the way and spotted a dark male pygmy. I'm pretty sure it is the same one I have seen before. I pointed him out to Lynne and just as I was about to swim I spotted a Green Turtle right next to the rock. They are the one with the two barnacles on the right side of their shell. I made sure Lynne had seen them.

I went on ahead along the sand line to just past Jodi's Rock. I looked in the red algae for pipefish but found none. I waited for Lynne just past Jodi's Rock. When she caught up we continued along the sand line.

I looked in Pipefishes Hole and spotted a Sawtooth Pipefish. While I was there Lynne spotted the new pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. I think quite a few people will find them. I went up to Noel&Di's Rock and found Cam in the sea tulips. I took some photographs of him while I was waiting for Lynne to finish with the pipefish. I then went to the pipefish and took some photographs.

I headed up to Di's Rock. Lynne had gotten there before me and spotted Lily, pointing her out as I swam up. I did a sweep of the rock looking for new males.

I swam over to Lily's Rock and looked in the sea tulips on the side of the rock. Tom Thumb was there. I pointed him out to Lynne.

I headed down to the sand line and made my way towards Little Big Rock. I looked in the red algae as I went. I did spot a tiny Eastern Cleaner Clingfish in one alga and it swam off and rested on some kelp.

I stopped at the rock with the pygmies. I'd found 3 last Sunday and 4 on Saturday. I found the red male in his usual spot. I could not find his cryptic partner. I also couldn't find the other male but I did find the other female who I couldn't find on Sunday. When Lynne caught up I pointed them out to her.

I moved on to the rock just before Little Big Rock where the solitary male Red Wide-bodied Pipefish has been. He was hiding in the alga near the kelp again. I took some photographs and then pointed him out to Lynne when she swam up.

I left Lynne with the pipefish and headed up to Skye's Rock. I spotted Little Richard and Tiny Tim in separate sea tulips on the Little Big Rock side of the rock. I initially couldn't see Helen but then spotted her in the sea tulips on The Steps side of the rock. When Lynne swam up I pointed them out to her.

I headed along the top of the reef to the rock where George and Paula pointed out two Red-fingered Anglerfish. Neither were in the spots they had been on Sunday. I did a sweep of the rock but still couldn't find them.

I moved back towards Skye's Rock so I wouldn't lose Lynne. Once I saw her I headed for the sand line and swam along there to Diversity Rock. When I got to Diversity Rock I looked around the kelp below it for the juvenile Weedy I'd found last Saturday. I initially couldn't see them. I indicated to Lynne there was a juvenile weedy here. I then spotted them close to the sand line. I took identification photographs and then let Lynne take some video.

I headed above Diversity Rock to the rock with pygmies. I had only found the male on Sunday and I was hoping to find the female, too. The male was in the same spot I've seen him. I then spotted the female. She seems to move around a lot which is probably why I can't always find her. I pointed them out to Lynne.

I swam past the basket star, still on the green hand sponge, and headed to the rock where Ash has been. They were no longer there. I looked on that rock and surrounding rocks but could not find them.

I headed over to the rock where the two pink pygmies had been last year and looked for the small female I found on Good Friday and saw again on Sunday. I found her. I pointed her out to Lynne after taking some photographs.

We started back towards the exit. I stopped at the juvenile weedy in front of Diversity Rock for some more photographs and so did Lynne. Lynne then indicated she was heading off so I waved her goodbye.

I continued on my own along the sand line past Little Big Rock to the solitary make Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. I took a few more photographs.

I moved on to the nearby rock to look for the second male pygmy I couldn't find on the way out. I looked for the cryptic female but still could not find her.

I swam along the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. I looked in the red algae along the way for pipefish. I looked in Pipefishes Hole but could not see any pipefish.

I took some more photographs of the pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. They were in separate algae so I couldn't get any pair shots.

I continued along the sand line past Jodi's Rock and stopped at the rock nearby for some more photographs of the pygmy there. Just past the rock I spotted an octopus with a tiny arm.

I headed up to Alex's Pygmy Rock. I was not able find any of the pygmies.

I looked around in the kelp for PJ's weedy. It took me a while but I eventually found them down near the sand line.

I continued to Baby's location and was surprised to find Baby quite quickly. I was able to get some nice photographs of them.

I headed for the boulders and ascended to Split Rock. I started my safety stop. After completing my safety stop I swam underwater to the exit. I got out on the shelf and it was an easy exit.