Cypress Point, Inner Wash Rocks Post Retirement Dive #946 June 18, 2026

Greg Hoberg and I took his boat, our 14th year diving from his rigid inflatable, around Point Pinos and down to Cypress Point. The wind had come up more than expected the previous afternoon and was already a strong breeze on our ride out. The water was choppy and the forecast was for the wind to pick up so we stopped to dive inside the inner wash rocks at Cypress Point, one of our favorite dive sites. The water was very bluish and we enjoyed 30 ft visibility. We had a very good dive, it had been awhile since we'd been out and it was great to get out again. We dived all along a wall that is formed on the south side of the southern wash rock, a beautiful site. Below are some photos from our dive, to see the rest, please fo to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/P1ZZ7gsHYYjZdRF97 The seafloor near the rocks is buried in thousands of mussel shells and the site is full of very large, very well fed, Spiny Sea Stars and Ochre Sea Stars. Below:

A colorful Painted Greenling, about 5 inches long, below:

Fish faces, a Blue Rockfish followed by a Lingcod, followed by a Black and Yellow Rockfish. Below:

A tiny juvenile sea star, not sure if its a Bat Star or another species, about 3/4 inches across, the Strawberry Anemones next to it are about 1/2 inches in diameter. Below:

A Leather Sea Star, about 9 inches across, with Purple Sea Urchins, below:

A Yellow Aeolid Nudibranch, below:

This site is very rough, very surgy, so only diveable with calmer than normal seas. Giant Green Anemones love surgy environments so there are many around these wash rocks. Below:

A White Spotted Rose Anemone, below:

A cool small Rock Crab, about 4 inches across, below:

This is only the second time I've observed that Painted Greenlings can hang out in Sea Anemones. It was very surgy so I was pleased to capture these imperfect photos of it. Below:

Greg, as usual, nailed the navigation back to his boat's anchor to end our dive. We could see that I'd be able to raise it without difficulty. Below:

We had a fast ride back with following seas. We enjoyed seeing a large group of Rizzo's Dolphins withing a half mile of the marina.

Aumentos and Shale Island with Beachhopper II, P.R. dives # 944,945 June 13, 2026

I got out for two enjoyable dives on Beachhopper II with Guy Foster on Saturday, June 13, continuing to execute my retirement plan which is to go diving with post retirement dives 944 and 945. Water temp was 51 degrees and visibility ranged from 10 to 15 ft. I was shooting macro with my 60 mm Canon lens. Our first dive was on a site called Aumentos, about 1/3 mile from Point Pinos inside Monterey Bay. Its an excellent site with very dense marine life. Below are some photos from this dive. To see the rest of my pictures from Aumentos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wXm1884vSd2uACUk8 Below: The face of a 3 inch long sculpin.

Gopher Rockfish, below:

Sea Cucumber open and filter feeding. Below:

2-3 inch Black Eyed Goby, below:

A small Decorator Crab, can you spot its eyes? The Strawberry Anemones near it are maybe 1/2 inch across. Below:

Our second dive was on a site called "Shale Island" because it's an isolated plateau of limestone rock. It's a great site for fish and invertebrates. There's lots of burrowing clams on this site. Below: A filter feeding Sea Cucumber about 4 inches across.

A Gopher Rockfish stressing over my close approach. Below:

A juvenile rockfish, about 4 inches long. Below:

The visible part of a burrowing Piddock Clam, below:

A Kellet's Whelk with Dock (aka coonstripe) Shrimp. Below:

Below: White Speckled Dorid (I think, don't have my usual books handy)

A Juvenile, I think Vermilion, Rockfish, about 3 inches long. Below:

A small crabby decorator crab, below:

Below: Several pictures of an unusually patient and cooperative Stripedfin Ronquil, about 4 inches long.

Three for one! Left to right, Piddock Clam, Nudibranch, Black Eyed Goby. Below:

Below: A Coralline Sculpin, 3-4 inches long.

A colorful 2-3 inch long sculpin, species tbd. Below:

To see the rest of my pictures from Shale Island please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DNHjQQ9REUDSzgQe6

British Virgin Islands, Moorings Bareboat May, 1984

I've got a new photo scanning application on my iphone. Below are some photos from a wonderful ten day bareboat trip with a Moorings Boat in 1984 with Greg and Chris Hoberg. To see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PgevEFh1392ko4Uq8

The underwater photographs were taken with my Nikonos IV uw camera purchased in 1982. Below: Gray Angelfish

Donna and I had a long encounter with a large Great Barracuda that was fascinated by my camera's shiny reflective strobe. Below:

Below: Nurse Shark

A beautiful Rock Hind, below:

Jacks with a cleaner wrasse at a cleaning station. Below:

Greg and I took our sailboat's skiff out to some offshore rocks and found a big shoal of baitfish with tarpon coming through to eat them. A great experience. Below:

Donna and I on our bareboat anchored off "The Baths" on the island of Virgin Gorda. I've got on my tshirt from our 1978 honeymoon on Cayman Brac. Below:

I got in some wind surfing, and also got Greg started with it, using a windsurfer that came with our boat. Below:

Late in the afternoon of our last day and night on our boat, Greg and I spotted a large spiny lobster but it was well positioned in a deep hole. Greg's shoulders were too large to get back into the hole to get a good grip on the lobster but I realized I could wriggle into it. Greg came down once I had time to get into the hole and grab the lobater in order to pull me out. We had a great lobster dinner. Below:

What a great trip we had!