The Step

Dive Site Summary

  

Location and Access

This site like some of the others is located inside Kurnell National Park. Drive past the discovery centre staying on the main road and you will notive a small parking area on the left side of the road around 1.5km inside the park. In the middle of the parking area there is a stairway which leads down the cliff face. After gearing up, take this stairway until you reach the waters edge.

Description

After entering the water, swim towards Bare Island for about 20 metres.  Descend here amongst the large boulders and make your way down to the sand at around 10 metres.

Follow the sand edge to the east and the water gradually gets deeper to about 15 metres. When looking at the sponge covered rocks,  have a closer look and you will notice a large variety of different species of nudibranchs. The rocks are also home to numerous other species including Blue Throated Ascidians, Lace Coral, Sea Fans, Tube Worms and Sea Squirts.  Many of the rocks are covered with a reddish weed. If you look very carefully at this weed, you may even discover a pygmy pipe horse.

On the sand at the 12 to 15 metres level, in the area up to 3 or 4 metres from the rocks, you should see beautiful common sea dragons, but you must look carefully for they can easily be mistaken for pieces of kelp.  In the late winter and early spring period look close and you may even see an egg laden male.