Dive Details

Location

Logged dive number

1429

Date

Friday 22 December 2017

Time

9:27am - 11:09am

Buddy

Mike Scotland

Seas

Slight

Visibility

10+ metres

Duration

102 minutes

Surface interval

Maximum depth

20.9 m

Average depth

14.1 m

Water temperature

17.7°C

Dive Profile from Citizen Hyper Aqualand

Tides at Botany Bay AEDT

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

Low

5:03am

0.58m

High

11:33am

1.70m

Low

6:15pm

0.42m

Details

George and Sue joined Mike and me for the dive today. Mike had his 15L and I had my pony so we knew we'd only see George and Sue at the start.

The tide was quite high when we jumped in, too high for the low platform, so we all got in from the top shelf. We grouped on the surface before descending and then headed at around 30° to the sand line. On the way I noticed some Sydney cardinalfish and one appeared to have eggs in his mouth.

We arrived at the sand line near the amphitheatre and there was still a lot of kelp lining the sand line. Visibility was over 10 metres, the water temperature was around 18°C and there wasn't much surge. We turned left and headed towards The Steps.

We swam past Seahorse Rock. I came on the male Weedy Seadragon that had the damaged head near the flat rocks with sponges. His head continues to heal. He still has no eggs and may be done with broods for the season. We continued on and just past Bent Stick Rock I saw another male weedy seadragon. This one had eggs.

We continued on to Southern Cross Rock. Here I found 4 pygmy pipehorses: 2 males and 2 females. While Mike and I were looking at the pygmy pipehorses, George and Sue continued on. I continued to photograph the pygmy pipehorses and Mike also went on.

I caught up to Mike at the start of Seadragon Alley. He was photographing another male weedy seadragon with eggs. Further along in Seadragon Alley I spotted a female weedy seadragon. I caught up to Mike again at the end of Seadragon Alley and he was looking for the pygmy pipehorses on the rock with the sponges. I pointed out the male and then the female and then went to the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish. I found the great seahorse before heading back to take photographs of the pygmy pipehorses. I took some more photographs of the pipefish and the seahorse before moving on.

I swam up to the rock before Big Rock with the red male pygmy pipehorse and three others. I found the male straight away and then the two juveniles before eventually finding the female.

At Big Rock I found the pair of pygmy pipehorses on top near the purple sea tulip and then found my red male and his partner low down on Big Rock. I found the white red-fingered angler on the rock its been for the last few weeks and also the black painted angler on the rock below Hand Rock.

I swam on to New Basket Star Rock and saw the basket star. I then went down on the sand to look for the pair of red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish but neither of them were in their alga. I looked around the area for them but could not see them.

I continued on past Diversity Rock towards Little Big Rock and spotted the Nembrotha purpureolineata along the way. Behind Little Big Rock I saw the salmon red-fingered anglerfish and the orange painted anglerfish. I also saw both pygmy pipehorses.

I headed up to the orange red-fingered anglerfish before heading to the red Stigmatopora sp. pipefish on the sand line. From here I made a bee line to the boulders, ascended to 5 metres and started my safety stop while swimming to Split Rock. I finished my Safety Stop at Split Rock and then swam underwater to the exit. The water level on the platform made for an easy exit.