Mono-lobo and a new dive site, South Moss Beach August 18, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught another very calm day and took his boat from Monterey Breakwater launching ramp around the Monterey Peninsula to Mono-lobo for our first dive. It was very calm so we made excellent time getting down there. We had an average of about 25 ft of visibility and water temp of 50 degrees. We saw a couple juvenile Ling Cod but no large ones and no Cabezon. Also saw only one Pacific Greenling. We saw the usual assortment of rockfish. The Kelp forest continues its gradual recovery, it's about 70% of its normal extent. Below are some photos from this dive, you can see the rest at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hroxovT41fG4m2367

Filter feeding sea cucumber

I'm pleased with this photo of either a Copper or Gopher Rockfish

Nudibranch orgi with egg string. When we surfaced from our first dive we noticed the breeze was growing, as forecast, so we up anchored and sped back towards Monterey Bay before the wind chop grew. We decided to dive a couple of acre sized giant kelp forest just off the beach on the north side of Point Joe. There were about a hundred Souther Sea Otters in the kelp forest watching us as we anchored, we hoped they'd visit us during the dive but they didn't. Depths were around 40 ft, scattered large rocks all sprouting kelp. Visibility was 15 to 20 ft. Below are some photos from the dive, a couple more are at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NPqimuKYhZG1Uajd6

Two Good Dives on Mono-lobo and at Cypress Point July 26, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught a very calm day on Tuesday, July 26 and took his boat to Carmel Bay where we dived at Mono-lobo for the first dive and then on the inner wash rocks off Cypress Point. Visibility was very good at Mono-lobo, 25 to 35 ft, more like 15 to 20 ft at Cypress Point. Below are some photos from our first dive, to see the rest go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/B2fnGUdK3UCXiAQb8

This Gopher Rockfish posed nicely!

The kelop forest continues to recover at Mono-lobo but there are still too many urchins on part of it, creatin small "urchin barrens". Our second dive was on the inner wash rocks off Cypress Point. Below are some photos from the dive, for more, go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uio2myimV1vjqL46

I was pleased to see several large Spiny Sea Stars, they should help with sea urchins

Kelp Rockfish

Nudibranch laying eggs, wish I could have gotten a better picture, I took several, this was the best....

Below: We were buzzed by a curious sea lion. Greg had a visit from a really big Sea Otter but I didn't get close enough to get a picture.