Mono-Lobo October 27, 2017

Greg Hoberg and I took his boat down to Carmel Bay for a second day of diving.  Sea conditions were significantly better, less chop and reduced swell.  As we passed Carmel Canyon on the way to Mono-lobo we were pleased to see a pod of Risso's dolphins.  We see them fairly often in this area, the deep canyon is a good hunting ground for the squid they eat.  When we arrived at Mono-lobo we were very happy to see many bachelor sea otters and we hope they will eat many sea urchins.  The kelp bed, is currently about 2/3 of normal size following the plague of sea urchins which followed the sea star wasting disease which decimated sea stars which eat lots of baby sea urchins.    Hopefully the sea otters will further reduce the many adult sized sea urchins still on the site.  Indeed, on our dive, we observed that almost all the sea urchins we saw were in crevasses which was the norm before the plague...  e had 15 ft of visibility at the surface and 30 ft down at the bottom, 50 degree water temp.

Below are some pictures from this dive, to see more, please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZLXZlQnzvYFKRdL62

to see more.

Mono-lobo is full of large rock structures and mini-walls.  You can see that we had good visibility and good light yesterday.

Greg found that by staying still and being patient he could get decent closeups of an always shy Treefish.

I got a closeup too.

Greg found a pair of Wolf Eels in their lair.  Wolf Eels mate for life and frequently stay in the same shelter for years.  We think we may have actually found this pair in the past.

The large Gray Wolf Eel and his brownish companion just visible above him and behind the Spotte Rose Anemone.  Wolf Eels are always shy.  The eat sea urchins which is a wonderful thing for the health of the kelp bed.

Almost all the sea urchins we saw on this dive were in crevices where they belong.  If they are caught out in the open in daylight the sea otters will munch them.  Hurray, the sea otters are back to this kelp bed and now I bet it will return to its normal extent.

A beautiful male Kelp Greenling.

 Greg gets a closeup of a Kelp Crab.

It's nice to have Giant Kelp and its denizens again to hang out with at 20 ft for our three minute safety stop.

Good Dives at the Pinnacles and Ghost Tree October 26, 2017

Greg Hoberg and I took advantage of very warm weather at the coast and reasonable sea conditions to take his boat to Carmel Bay for two dives yesterday.  Our first dive was on the Pinnacles, we had 20 ft visibility (it's been sunny for days on end and rough with large swells this week) and water temp from 52 to 50 (deepest and clearest water).  Kelp slowly recovering on the Pinnacles, mainly Bull Kelp but now some Giant Kelp and some Palm Kelp on the bottom.  Still too many Sea Urchins.  We saw the usual mix of rock fish, though not in large numbers, and Greg found one cooperative, picturesque Cabezon.  We were pleased to be visited by a Game Warden while on the site.  Too often this protected site still gets fished by folks that claim to not know better.  Below are some pictures from our Pinnacles dive, for more please go to:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MEFCwrXbXyHcfKxh1

The primarily E-W canyons found on the Pinnacles have the effect of focusing the energy from swells from the NW so even down 50 ft you get taken back and forth several feet with each passing wave.  When a long period swell is coming through you can get shoved back and forth down to 65 ft or so when in a narrow canyon.  As you can see, we had very good sunlight though the water wasn't as clear as we had hoped.  You can see a few Palm Kelps growing in this photo, despite the large numbers of urchins.

                                  Copper Rockfish

              China Rockfish, being shy, like usual.

The Pinnacles is known for having lots to beautiful, but slow growing hydor coral.

Greg gets a closeup of a cooperative Cabezon that he spotted.

I got a couple closeups, too.

Greg was visited by a fast moving, elusive, but curious sea lion a couple times.  You can just make him out in this picture.  Divers have very restricted vision through their masks, Greg never even saw the sea lion...



We made our second dive at "Ghost Tree" which is along the north shore of Carmel Bay, just to the west of Pescadero Point.  This site is somewhat protected from a NW swell though it explodes into giant waves for big wave surfing when winter storms come in from the south due to the shelf of rocks just offshore.  We had less swell on this site and 20 ft visibility, 52 degree water temp.  Below are some pictures from this dive, for more please go to:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2CtkcSXoG6v0LebP2

Sometimes you spot something you've either never seen or never noticed before.  The deep bolders at Ghost Tree had several clusters of these roundish "What's Its".  I think they were some kind of mollusk.  I wonder if they were immature rock scallops?  TBD, maybe.

We chose this site because there was less swell and because the Giant Kelp bed normally found all along the north shore of Carmel Bay had a small area that is finally recovering from the sea urchin infestation that followed the sea star wasting disease that devastated a major predator of the sea urchins in 2013 and 2014.  There were several healthy, well fed sea urchins on the site.

A sea lemon nudibranch amongst far too many sea urchins.

   One of the largest Rock Crabs I've ever seen on a dive.  He was easily 9 inches across.  Wonder if he eats sea urchins?

Good dive at Fire Rock, off Pescadero Pt, Carmel Bay October 18,2017

Greg Hoberg and I took his RIB Zodiac down to Carmel Bay for a very good dive yesterday, despite choppy seas.  We had twenty foot visibility and 51 degree water temperature.  It is encouraging to see some recovery of kelp near Fire Rock though it is still only about 15% of normal, there are still far too many sea urchins.  In addition to a small amount of Giant Kelp, there was a very small number of Palm Kelp on the bottom as well, despite hordes of sea urchins.  We only made a single dive yesterday because forecasted rising winds promised to make the return trip to Monterey miserable!

Below are some pictures from our dive, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iMDW7H4Ao0mFEB763

 Still way too many sea urchins, here are purple urchins (in the past the only common urchin in Carmel Bay) and a red urchin.  Happily there are growing numbers of healthy spiny, ochre, and rainbow stars on this site, too.

 It's difficult to see the good sized camouflaged Lingcod that Greg is getting a closeup of.

                                  The lingcod shifted his position after Greg's flash.

 I got a closeup of the Lingcod then I left her in peace.

                           A pair of beautiful Chestnut Cowries.  There seem to be quite a lot more of these since the numbers of large sea stars crashed following the sea star plague that started in 2013 but seems to be over now.

San Diego dorid Nudibranch with an orange bat star.

    Blue Rockfish like to school in Giant Kelp Beds, at last they have a small kelp bed at Fire Rock again.

             Greg with a well camouflaged decorator crab (next to his hand).

                                        Sea Lemon Nudibranch

                               A large Ochre Sea Star with my hand for scale, it's great to that these Sea Stars are making a come back after the sea star plague.

Two Back-to-Back Dives at Mono-lobo, Carmel Bay October 17, 2017

Greg Hoberg and I took advantage of quiet winds and calm seas to speed down to Carmel Bay today.  We dived Mono-lobo and had very good visibility ranging from 20 to 40 ft with 51 degree water temp.  The kelp bed at Mono-lobo continues to regrow with a good blend of Bull and Giant Kelp and gradually increasing amounts of Palm Kelp on the bottom.  Today we saw several lingcod pairing up to reproduce.  Didn't manage to get actual pictures of "action" though.  Also saw a couple Cabezon and a large curious Vermilion Rockfish and a shy Tree Fish plus the usual assortment of other rockfish.

Below are some photos from these two dives, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aCLWV4qTivdWChO12

                                                Pile Perch

             Vermilion Rockfish

Greg with Lingcod

Greg with Cabezon

Greg and another Lingcod

An amorous pair of Lingcod

Greg and new friend

Greg and Metridium aka Plumrose Anemones