Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1903

Date

Thursday 29 April 2021

Time

7:37am - 9:40am

Seas

Slight current and almost no surge

Visibility

5 to 15 metres

Duration

123 minutes

Surface interval

 3 days 21:39 (days hh:mm)

Maximum depth

14.6 m

Average depth

11.5 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

3:56am

0.25m

High

10:00am

1.58m

Low

3:45pm

0.44m

High

10:14pm

2.01m

Details

I dived on my own today. Conditions looked sensational with barely a ripple on the bay. There were no other divers around and I'd have The Steps to myself.

I jumped in and swam out on the surface. The visibility looked awesome. I swam out to the edge of the boulders and descended to the sand. The visibility still looked awesome at between 10 and 15 metres. There was light surge that caused the kelp to sway gently. The water temperature was around 19°.

I looked around for the newer juvenile Weedy. It took me a while but I eventually found them. I took some identification photographs for SeadragonSearch.

I headed west and then turned right to the sand line. I started along the sand line and spotted a small octopus I sometimes see there. I also spotted an adult Weedy Seadragon. This was the same Weedy Seadragon I saw in the same location on Saturday but then I saw them on either side of Little Big Rock later in the dive.

I swam on to Baby's location and looked for Baby. It took a couple of sweeps of the area but I found them.

I moved on to the next small patch of kelp and spotted PJ's baby. This was going very well. After taking identification shots of PJ's baby I had a look for Nadiah. It's been ages since I'd seen her so I had low expectations. What a surprise it was to find her.

I swam along the sand line towards Jodi's Rock. I stopped at the rocks on the sand line and looked for the pygmies there. I was only able to find the male.

I continued past Jodi's Rock and spotted an adult Weedy Seadragon. It was only early in the dive and I'd already spotted 4 Weedy Seadragons, a Pot-bellied Seahorse, and a pygmy pipehorse!

I followed the sand line to Pipefishes Hole. I looked in the hole and spotted a Sawtooth Pipefish on the ceiling of the hole.

I headed over to the patch of red algae to look for the remaining Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. He was not there. I looked in the algae towards the shore and found him. I looked in all the algae there just in case the female was there but could not see her.

I looked on Noel&Di's Rock and spotted Cam in the sea tulips. I looked on the rock for Lily but she was not there. On the other side of the rock I found the male pygmy pipehorse. I looked around some more and spotted a juvenile pygmy.

I headed up to Di's Rock expecting to see Lily but she was not there.

I swam to Lily's Rock and looked in the kelp on the way there but found no seahorses. I spotted Tom Thumb in the sea tulips on the side of the rock closest the kelp. I looked on top of Lily's Rock and spotted Lily.

I headed towards the shore and looked on the sand above the reef for Weedy Seadragons but found none. I also looked on the rocks for anglerfishes.

I went back to the sand line and headed towards Little Big Rock. I looked in the red algae on the way but found nothing of interest. On my way to Little Big Rock I spotted an adult Weedy Seadragon.

I stopped on the rock a few metres before Little Big Rock and looked for pygmies. The red male was in his usual spot on the side of the rock. I looked in the soft coral at the other end of the rock and spotted a male and a female there.

I swam to the rock next to Little Big Rock and looked for the male Red Wide-bodied Pipefish there. He was in the red alga next to the kelp. I then looked for the Red Pipefish in one of the other red algae. They weren't in the first alga I checked and my heart sank a little but I was buoyed when I looked in the second alga and found them. I took a few photographs but was careful not to disturb them too much.

I headed up to Skye's Rock. I found Little Richard and Tiny Tim near each other on the eastern corner of the rock. I swam right around the rock before finding Helen in the sea tulips on the western side of the rock.

I went over to the rock to the north-west to look for the pygmies there. I found the red male immediately. I wasn't able to find the purplish male and eventually found the white female. The sea spider was still there. I popped back down to the Red Pipefish to make sure it was still there.

I went behind Little Big Rock and then down to the sand line. As I swam to Diversity Rock I found an adult Weedy Seadragon.

At Diversity Rock I looked around in the kelp for the juvenile Weedy Seadragon there. I initially couldn't find them and then they were visible. I suspect they were hiding in the kelp.

I headed above Diversity Rock to Cody's Pygmy Rock. I was not able to find any pygmies there.

I continued along sand above the reef past the basket star, which is back on the green hand sponge, and on to the red chimney sponge where Ash has been. They were still there.

I swam across the sand towards The Steps. I looked in the red algae for pipefish but found none. I swam past Skye's Rock and on to Lily's Rock. Lily was still on top pf the rock.

I headed down to Noel&Di's Rock. Cam was out of the sea tulips and on the rock. I checked Pipefishes Hole but could not see any pipefishes. I checked on the Red Wide-bodied Pipefish and it was still in the alga towards the shore from the original patch.

I swam just up from the sand line and checked red algae as I went. Near Jodi's Rock I noticed the same adult Weedy Seadragon I'd seen on my way out. I took some more identification photographs.

I swam past Jodi's Rock and came on another adult Weedy Seadragon. This was the same one that was at the entry/exit at the start of the dive today and had travelled from the same spot to the other side of Little Big Rock on Saturday.

I continued to the kelp and looked for PJ's baby but could not find them. I had a look at Baby's location and found them. I took photographs of them until I was low on air.

I headed to the boulders. I had a quick look for the other juvenile Weedy Seadragon on my way but didn't see them. I ascended to Split Rock and started my safety stop. While I was there I saw some other divers swim by - it was Vicki and Garry. I finished my safety stop and swam underwater to the exit. The water level was quite low event though it was close to high tide but the exit was easy.