Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1916

Date

Thursday 3 June 2021

Time

11:12am - 1:10pm

Seas

Slight current and almost no surge

Visibility

10 to 15 metres

Duration

118 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

14.8 m

Average depth

11.5 m

Water temperature

16°C

Dive Profile from Garmin Descent Mk1

Tides at Botany Bay AEST

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

High

2:40am

1.57m

Low

9:27am

0.56m

High

3:45pm

1.40m

Low

9:30pm

0.82m

Details

The forecast for today was very calm seas. After the rough weekend with swell up to 6m I really wasn't sure if the water would be all than clean, however, I was keen to see who had survived and could put up with poor visibility.

I arrived at around 10:30am and there were a few other divers about to go in. It was indeed flat and it actually looked quite clear. It was possible to make out the sand line.

The other divers got in way before me (and PJ and Jackie would be getting in after me) so I'd have much of the place to myself for the dive.

The tide was still quite low when I got in and I knelt on the platform and got in that way. I put my fins on early and had a look for Mandy's torch on my way out. (She lost her torch at the end of our dive last Thursday.) The visibility looked great from the surface. I swam out before descending. I descended early so I could continue to look for the torch. I swam to the sand line. The visibility was at least 10 metres and there was almost no surge. My dive computers said it was 17°C but I don't know if it was just that they had not yet adjusted to the water temperature.

I veered to the left before turning right around the kelp. I hadn't gone far when I came across an adult Weedy Seadragon.

I looked in the area where we have been seeing Baby of late but could not see them. I continued to their original location and found them there. It was great to see Baby again as we missed them last Thursday (which was 8 months since Mandy first spotted them).

I continued to the next area of kelp and spotted PJ's juvenile Weedy. It is interesting that both of them have headed back to their original areas after being closer to the exit for the last few weeks. I looked around for Nadiah and other seahorses but found none.

I followed the sand line towards Jodi's rock and as I got to the end of the kelp I spotted another adult Weedy Seadragon.

I checked the rock not far before Jodi's Rock and spotted the pink male pygmy pipehorse. It was in the same place I saw it last Thursday. I looked for the female but could not see her.

I continued past Jodi's Rock and on to Pipefishes Hole. I looked for pipefish in the red algae along the way. I looked into Pipefishes Hole but could not see any pipefishes. I looked on Noel&Di's Rock and spotted Cam in the sea tulips. I looked around for Lily but she was not there. I looked for pygmy pipehorses but found none. I also checked the area where the pair of Red Wide-bodied Pipefish had been but most of the algae was gone.

I headed up to Di's Rock. I looked for Lily there but could not see her. On my way to Lily's Rock I checked the rock with the kelp and spotted Tom Thumb in the kelp. As I was photographing him I noticed Lily on the side of the rock. As I was there I noticed the other divers (that had gotten in before me) heading back towards the exit.

I swam down to the sand line and followed the sand line towards Little Big Rock. I looked in the area where Mandy had spotted the juvenile Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. The algae has been cropped quite closely, perhaps by the sea hare that had been around. I looked in the red algae on the next rock and was pleasantly surprised to find a Red Wide-bodied Pipefish there. (After checking my photographs it turns out it is the solitary male that was next to Little Big Rock. I think he actually moved before the rough seas as I didn't see him last Thursday.)

I continued on the sand line and not much further I spotted a Red Pipefish in another red alga. This was pretty exciting. I couldn't be sure if this was a new one or the one that had been near Little Big Rock and it had moved. I was eager to get to Little Big Rock to find out.

I resisted the urge to go straight to Little Big Rock and stopped at the rock with the pygmies. I found the male next to the yellow sponge and the female in the soft coral. These guys had survived the rough seas, too. I looked around the area for the large Robust Ghostpipefish but could not see it.

I headed to Little Big Rock. I had a quick look for the solitary male Red Wide-bodied Pipefish not realising I'd already seen it. I then looked for the Red Pipefish. I couldn't find it in either of the red algae where it usually is. I then checked the furry red alga and spotted it there. This means there are (at least) two. I'd gone from only every seeing one, to 2 to 3, then seeing the 3rd one on multiple occasions to seeing a fourth and two on the one dive. I think I squealed!

I headed up to Skye's Rock. I spotted Little Richard in the sea tulips on the eastern corner of the rock. I couldn't see Tiny Tim nearby. I swam around the rock and found Helen in the sea tulips on the western side of the rock. I still couldn't see Tiny Tim. I did another lap of Skye's Rock. As I was looking, PJ and Jackie swam up. I indicated I had seen two seahorses but couldn't find the third. They had a quick look and then swam off. I had one last look and found Tiny Tim low down on the northern side of the rock.

I swam behind Little Big Rock and down to the sand line. I swam along the sand line towards Diversity Rock. I looked in the red algae for pipefish but found none. I hadn't gone far when I spotted the other juvenile Weedy Seadragon that I first saw near Diversity Rock.

I continued past Diversity Rock along the sand line checking out the red algae along the way. I then headed up the reef to the sponge where the basket star has moved to. I wasn't sure if it would still be there because of the rough seas but it was on the same sponge as it had moved to a few weeks ago (last rough seas).

I headed up to the sand above the reef and along towards where I had seen Gonzo, the Red Wide-bodied Pipefish, a couple of weeks ago. I checked out all the red algae along the way in case she had moved. I didn't find her or any others along the way and she wasn't in the alga she'd been in last Thursday.

I continued along the top of the reef/sand towards Big Rock. I checked out the red algae along the way. As I approached Big Rock, I saw PJ and Jackie again. This time they were heading back towards The Steps. I looked on the rock where I found the female Red Wide-bodied Pipefish two weeks ago. As I approached the alga I could see she was still there. She'd survived the rough seas!

I turned an headed back towards The Steps. I looked on all the rocks where I used to regularly see pygmy pipehorses but found none. Where could they have all gone or am I losing my ability to find them?

I headed down to the sand line to check out some red algae there. I hadn't gone far when I spotted a new Red Wide-bodied Pipefish. Well... new to me at least as I had not looked there in a long time. This was another female. Hopefully, she, and the female near Big Rock, will attract mates.

I wasn't far from the rock where the pink pygmies had been last year and I thought I'd check that rock again for pygmies. I found a smallish female. I haven't lost it completely. I made sure I could find my way from this rock to the new pipefish before heading off.

I stayed close to the sand line as I headed past Diversity Rock and on to Little Big Rock. I expected to see the juvenile Weedy Seadragon again but instead spotted an adult.

I stopped next to Little Big Rock to check out the Red Pipefish again and get some more photographs.

I continued to the new Red Pipefish to make sure I could find it and also get some more photographs.

I stopped at the Red Wide-bodied Pipefish to try to get some ventral shots to determine if they were a male or female. They're a male.

I followed the sand line past Pipefishes Hole. I checked it for pipefishes before continuing to Jodi's Rock. After Jodi's Rock I looked at the male pygmy and had another look for the female but couldn't find her.

I swam along the kelp. I spotted PJ's juvenile Weedy again. I looked in Baby's area but could not see them. A little further along I spotted the adult Weedy I'd seen on the way out. I looked around a bit more for Baby and other Weedies.

I started towards the exit and spotted another adult Weedy on my way.

I ascended to Split Rock and started my safety stop. I swam around a bit on my safety stop looking for Mandy's torch. I finished my safety stop and swam slowly underwater to the exit looking in every crevice and hole for Mandy's torch. (What I didn't know was that the divers that got in before me had found it.) It was still calm when I got out onto the platform.