Good Dive on the Pinnacles, Carmel Bay November 3, 2023

Greg Hoberg and I caught a nice day and dived the Pinnacles, one of only two of our favorite 6 or 8 dive sites https://photos.app.goo.gl/iD3TLbYVjAvBBfKe8that has a healthy kelp forest. The horrific devastation of the plague of sea urchins continues. We had a very good dive, it would have been spectacular if we'd had better visibility vs the average of about 20 ft we had. We were repeatedly visited by a Harbor Seal but never close enough for a good picture. Below are some photos from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iD3TLbYVjAvBBfKe8

Above: Three sea stars, Leather, Rainbow, and Spiny Below: Ling Cod

Below: Gopher Rockfish

Below: Multiple shots of the curious but very shy Harbor Seal that kept visiting us.

Above: It's always more pleasant to hang next to kelp for our three minute safety stop at 20 ft before surfacing.

Two fun dives with Beachhopper October 28, 2023

Guy, Tessa, and I got out for two good dives with Beachhopper Saturday, September 28.We had around 20 ft of visibility, 54 F. Below are some photos from the first site, Mr. Ed, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vEQxZBiAQR3oZDka8 Below: Mr. Ed has large rocks, many with Metridium, aka Plumrose Anemones. Second photo: Juvenile Ling Cod Third Photo: Treefish with its unique pink lips Fourth Photo: Gopher Rockfish

Below: Bold, confident Copper Rockfish

Below: A small school of Blue Rockfish, I could imagine them thinking "Where's the kelp?"

Below: Ling Cod with Plumrose, aka Metridium Anemones

Below: Wolf Eel

Below: Treefish

Below: Time to start up the anchor line for my safety stop. It's always nice when you're still reasonably warm thanks to an actual dry, dry suit. A very welcome thing when it happens.....frequent but by no means always.

Our second dive was on "Shale Island". Lots of Sea Lemon nudibranchs, big ones. Also, I saw Ocean Whitefish for the first time in Monterey, before this I'd only seen them down in the Channel Islands. Well, the fish aren't confused about the fact and reality of global warming. Below are some photos from our second dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/SZSYfG9NmexxrZDf8

Above: Ocean Whitefish, the first time I've seen them up in Monterey. Before this I'd only seen them in the Channel Islands. Below: Vermillion Rockfish

Shale Island has lots of cool invertebrates to photo, I wish I'd had my macro lens for this dive. Below: A couple Sea Lemon Nudibranchs and a Yellow Edged Cadlina Nudibranch