Day Four, fun with Sea Lions at Santa Barbara Island November 8, 2018

The fourth day on our wonderful six day diving trip in the Channel Islands on the Vision found us back at Santa Barbara Island after a rough crossing from San Clemente Island the night before, which I, predictably, mostly slept through.  Fortunately the captain knew an anchorage that would be pretty calm and protected for the wind and sea directions and conditions had improved tremendously by the time for our first dive of the morning.

Our first two dives were off a Sea Lion rookery and Park Ranger station landing.  The sea lions were very active, very excited to see us and come out and interact with us, and very busy wrestling with each other.  I thoroughly enjoyed both dives and the second dive I was by myself in a small nook at the edge of the island for almost the entire dive, continually entertained by playful sea lions.  This was one of the most fun, unforgettable, experiences in over 51 years of diving.   Below are some favorite shots from these two long, memorable dives in clear blue water.  If you like sea lions there are somemany more, plus related undersea shots, to be found at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cXSjHymhErvo31ndA

As soon as I "splashed" and saw the beautiful clear blue water and was almost immediately buzzed by a curious sea lion I knew I was in for an exceptional dive, or in this case, two.

Under these calm conditions you could comfortably swim right up to where the cliff face shot up out of the water.  I like how you can see the island's cliff face above the sea lion in this photo.

In twisting and turning in response to being buzzed by sea lions I sometimes found myself shooting while me on my back underwater as you can see from the orientation of my fins in this picture.

I love this shot of sea lions on their way down to buzz me with the brightly reflecting bubbles from the sea surge breaking on the rocks immediately above us.

Usually, shooting down away from the sunlight is a bad idea underwater, but the bright reflective sand, clear blue sunlit water, and some fill in from my strobe really worked in this case.  I love the sea lion hovering just above the ripple pattern in the sand.

One of my fellow divers getting a shot as he is buzzed.

            Check out the view of the cliff face rising from the Pacific above the silhouetted sea lion that is about to come down and pay me a visit.

         Usually, you don't get to them coming as I did in this case, with more milling above....

                              Sea lions are amazingly supple, coordinated, and fast.

Sea lions frequently snort bubbles at you, but of course I'm doing the same at them, breathing on scuba.  I finally caught it in an action shot.

                                          No bubbles!

 Sea lions are amazingly playful, they were wrestling and locking jaws all the time.  I have never laughed so much on a dive, or maybe anytime period.

They wanted to see if I would play, they gently mouthed my fins and my strobe.

    My air supply dwindling from too much laughing, I was escorted back to the boat by a playful pack.

    As I ascending the anchor chain three of the pack broke off to surprise two photographers ready to photograph sea lions coming from the opposite direction, they love to do that!