Two dives on Mono-lobo, November 18, 2014

Greg Hoberg and I had two excellent dives at Mono-lobo in Carmel Bay on Tuesday.  We had 35 ft of visibility and 55 degree water.  We saw, for the first time, kelp greenling laying eggs and fertilizing them and we also saw several different cabezon males guarding egg masses.  The conditions were wonderful so I shot a lot of pictures.  If you want to get a feel for the richness of life at Monolobo and the amazing submarine terrain, see the pictures here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6083619285302523937?authkey=CLWX6bbUwN_MZw

 Greg is getting a photo of a female kelp greenling, just right of center in photo, laying eggs.

 Male kelp greenling in special coloration, fertilizing eggs.

 The male kelp greenling's body vibrates when he is fertilizing the eggs.

 First time we've ever seen this.  Would have been a great video....

The female kelp greenling.

 When I took this photo of the vermilion rockfish I didn't even see the sea lion zooming in for a look.

 Vermillion rockfish are bright red in a flash picture, red is simply a dull dark shade without artificial light at this depth (40 to 60 ft or so).

 Greg getting a cabezon photo.

A large cabezon next to his greenish mass of eggs just below the kelp holdfast.  

Monolobo has fantastic rock structure and diving through the kelp bed when the water is clear and the sun is shining is fantastic.

A beautiful trio of large sea anemones, each around 10 inches or so across.

Another beautiful cabezon.

Dives on the Pinnacles and inside the Wash Rock south of Point Cypress, November 17, 2014

Greg Hoberg and I dived on the Pinnacles and near a wash rock inside Cypress Point on Monday.  We had 40 ft visibility at the Pinnacles and 35 ft near the wash rock.  Water temperature was 55 degrees.  Again, lots of sea urchins and brittle stars.  We are seeing some sea stars but still far fewer than before the sea star wasting virus came through starting a year ago.  Probably due to the huge growth in sea urchin population the kelp beds are only a fraction of normal so it is easy to maneuver Greg's RIB zodiac to locations that are normally impassable due to kelp.

 Lots of sea urchins.

 Greg getting a wide angle closeup of a pair of clown nudibranchs.

 Clown nudibranch, aka orange and white, scientific name catalina triopha.

 Greg comes through a mini canyon.

 Back to the boat.  For more pictures from this dive, please go to :  https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6083618082540251585?authkey=CLqGpMmjq-m8rwE

 Our dive on the inside of a wash rock south of Cypress Point was near a golf hole and we saw a number of golf balls, Greg showed off his submarine juggling.

Lots of blue rockfish.

Cruising back to the boat.  For more pictures from this dive please go to:  https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6083618735623489425?authkey=CK2fvaeJ4fHfWQ

Mono-lobo, November 6, 2014

Greg Hoberg and I dived on Mono-lobo today.  Surface temperature was again 55 degrees like yesterday.  Visibility was a disappointing, green, 20 feet.  We saw the usual mix of rockfish, lingcod, and cabezon.  The dive site was crawling with brittle stars today.  More than I've seen in all my years of diving.  I wonder why there are so many and wonder if it is related to the dearth of sea stars following the sea star wasting syndrome outbreak.

To see all the pictures from today's dive please go to:
https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6078811551283374593?authkey=CM_vrOyX7o34bA

 Hundreds of brittle stars.

 Black rockfish and more brittle stars.

 A stand of kelp has pulled its holdfast off the rocks.

 Greg crossing one of the many pinnacles on this dive site.

 We saw lots of lingcod today, as we usually do in this protected area.

 Greg above the remains of a kelp holdfast.

 Kelp holdfasts frequently have many brittlestars but usually only their arms are visible.  Note the snubnose sculpin half way down from the top.

 A large strand of kelp has pulled its holdfast off the reef.

A kelp rockfish with lots more brittle stars.

Sunset Point and Ghost Tree, November 5, 2014

Greg Hoberg and I had two good dives today.  One right off Sunset Point on the outer tip of the kelp bed, the other at the east(ish) end of Lingcod Reef near the "Ghost Tree" surfing spot.  On both dives we had 25 feet of visibility and 52 degree temperature.  We saw a smattering of lingcod and a couple cabezon, many blue rockfish and the usual assortment of other rockfish.  We were visited by harbor seals and a sea lion but no real photo opportunities with them.  Once again I saw lots more sea urchins than I used to see before the sea star wasting disease decimated starfish populations.  I'm seeing a few sea stars but a tiny fraction of what I used to see.  Still have not seen a single sunflower star all year long.

To see a selection of pictures from these two dives please go to:

https://plus.google.com/photos/110159573286645489662/albums/6078441119349825361?authkey=CKf2r5bilISxvgE

Here's a few of the pictures:

 A plethora of blue rockfish.

 Count em.

 Looking up.

 Lots of pulled up kelp holdfasts.  You always see more this time of year after storms (we had our first last weekend), but I think there are more than usual because of more sea urchins since the sea star wasting syndrome struck this area (started about a year ago).

 A pair of Ohdner's nudibranchs with a sea urchin.

 Greg getting some kelp shots.

 Vermillion rockfish

A ravenous horde of sea urchins.  Time for a ravenous horde of sea otters...