Diving 2025, Post Retirement Dives #810 through #907, diving in Monterey, Carmel, Maldives, Philippines, and God's Pocket

Donna and I dived the Maldives in February, I dived the Philippines in June and July, and wrapped up the dive year (wouldn't have predicted that I would do more local dives before the year was out!) with a week of diving at God's Pocket, British Columbia the first week of September. So 97 dives this year took me up to 907 dives since I retired 14 years ago, November 1, 2011. Below are some of my favorite diving photos from the year, to see the complete album of my favorites, please go go: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z92wRYH1MiYCBpcP8 I'll start wit a few of my favorite photos from my "local dives" in Monterey and Carmel. A change is underway, though we still live in Dry Creek Valley outside Healdsburg, we've taken our Pacific Grove home that we've owned since 1983 (Donna wisely insisted we buy a home in Pacific Grove, 200 miles to the south, the year before the wonderful Monterey Aquarium, built by Dave Packard, of HP fame, where I worked, opened) off the rental market and are starting to split our time between our two homes and plan to eventually relocate there. So, Monterey and Carmel, are actually becoming localish dives for me, at long last. Below: My favorite local photo subject, a Cabezon on Metridium Mountain in January, diving with Guy Foster on Beachhopper II.

In June, Guy Foster and I had a very enjoyable "muck" shore dive at the Wharf in Monterey, below are photos of an Opalescent Nudibranch and a Spanish Shawl Nudibranch:

I photo'd this Montgomery's Flatworm, the first I've ever seen, during the Monterey Shootout.

One of my favorite rockfish, a Treefish, on Mt Chetron, diving with Beachhopper II in August, below:

In February Donna and I did a long liveaboard dive boat trip in the Maldives, below a few select photos from the trip. Below, a passing Reef Manta:

Below: A beautiful Silver Tip Shark with a couple White Tipped Reef Sharks

Below: Donna with Linkia Sea Star

Below: Audry with Stingrays

In June and July I had a long dive vacation in the Philappines, the first week shore based at Atlantis Dumaguete with exceptional much diving with great guides for spotting, so most of these photos are with my 60 mm Canon macro lens. The next two weeks on the liveaboard Atlantis Azores where I mostly shot wide angle with my 10-17mm Tokina fisheye lens. Below are some photos from this excellent diving trip. Atlantis Dumaguete Below: An inquisitive False Clownfish

Below: Sexy Shrimp, aka Squat Anemone Shrimp, on Bubble Coral

Below: Bubble Coral Shrimp on Bubble Coral

Below: Skeleton Shrimp (think Men in Black!) followed by a Spiny Sea Horse

Below: A Garden Eel closeup! Photographers that have tried to photograph garden eels, as I've been attempting to do for over 48 years, retreat down into their burrows as you approach, making a closeup very difficult to ever get.

A goby on Whip Coral, below:

Wonderpus Octopus, always eagerly sought out! Below:

Another wonderful, sought out subject, the highly venemous Blue Ringed Octopus, below:

Below: Saddleback Anemonefish with eggs, showing eyes, about to hatch!

False Clownfish tending her eggs, also with eyes, about to hatch! Below:

Below: A pair of Ornate Ghost Pipefish

Atlantis Azores Liveaboard Trip Below: Russ and Barbara with a Banded Sea Krait sea snake, and a closeup of it

We had one excellent dive with Whale Sharks that know to come to a village which feeds them. Wonderful! Below: Russ with approaching Whale Shark, Barbara with a Whale Shark, and photos of a close pass I enjoyed.

A beautiful Banded Pipefish face followed by a picture of a Banded Pipefish carrying eggs. Below:

Below: I finally succeeded in getting a good photo of the extremely shy, elusive, shadow dwelling Comet, aka Marine Betta, for the first time.

A beautiful seascape:

So many Frogfish on this trip! A Giant Gray Frogfish on a Gray Sponge, followed by a beautiful Scorpionfish on the wall at Cabilao Island, below:

A Blue Edged Cleaner Wrasse with a Moray, below:

A beautiful Day Octopus at Kimud Shoal, below:

We had wonderful encounters with beautiful, metallic silver colored Thresher Sharks at Kimud Shoal. Below:

Below: An Urchin Clingfish, aka Longsnout Clingfish, the first I've ever seen.

Below: A juvenile Harliquin, aka Many Spotted Sweetlips, a very difficult to photo subject because it is in constant fast motion. Finally got a decent photo!

One of a number of beautiful Mantis Shrimp I photo'd on this great trip. Below:

Above, the first Pegasusfish, aka Sea Moth, I ever encountered. My final big dive trip was my third trip to God's Pocket, located off the NE corner of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I once again drove up in my Tesla Model 3 and Donna came along for the drive, we had a wonderful visit to Victoria. The water at God's Pocket is cold but the density of marine life is amazing. Once again, staying at God's Pocket with its wonderful food and great dive boat with an elevator to get you back aboard at the end of each dive, was great fun. Hooded Nudibranchs. I need to try out the "Backscatter Eliminator" photographers are now widely using to clean up their pictures. Below:

Below: A China Rockfish followed by a Red Irish Lord

Below: An Orange Peel Nudibranch

We were buzzed several times by inquisitive Stellar Sea Lions. They are much larger than California Sea Lions and can be quite startling. I managed to snap a picture of one, below:

Below: A colorful Rock Greenling followed by a Quillback Rockfish and a Basket Star.

A great year of diving! Looking forward to getting started with 2026 diving!