My Favorite Dive Photos for 2017

Below are a selection of my favorite dive photos from the past year.  May 7, 2017 was the 50th anniversary of my getting my dive certification from NASDS, from Pop's Dive Shop in Clearwater, Florida, a month before my 14th birthday.  I celebrated this anniversary with a dive trip to Fiji this past May and I also did a six day dive trip in the Vision to the Channel Islands in November, the remainder of the dives were all in the Monterey and Carmel area.

                               Greg Hoberg with a lingcod off Pescadero Point last February.

                   Yellowfin Fringehead, the first I ever encountered, sheltering in the shell of an Acorn Barnacle, in Otter Cove, Pacific Grove, on a solo dive I made last March.

Monkeyface Prickleback that I encountered on the same March dive.

Coral Corner, Fiji, diving with the Nai'a liveaboard in April-May this year.  I took this trip with my friend Guy Foster to celebrate my 50 year diving anniversary on May 7.  Nai'a is a great boat with a great crew, a very fun trip, with lots of kava consumed.

Guy Foster focusing on Anemonefish.

Leaf Scorpionfish, Wekaya, Fiji, with the Nai'a

Slingjaw Wrasse and cleaner wrasse, with the Nai'a.

Fire Dart, Fiji, with the Nai'a

Spotted Shrimp Goby and Bulldozer Shrimp, a working partnership.  Fiji with Nai'a.

Sea Lion at Mono-lobo, Carmel Bay, last May

Horned Nudibranch, aka Opalescent Nudibranch, about 3 inches long, Otter Cove, Pacific Grove

Vermilion Rockfish face, Mono-lobo, last July

China Rockfish, off Butterfly House, Carmel Bay, last July

Greg Hoberg under the recovered Kelp Forest canopy at Mono-lobo last September.  Finally, four years after the disastrous sea star wasting disease led to a ravenous plague of sea urchins, kelp beds are beginning to recover.

Greg with lingcod at Mono-lobo last October.

                           Garibaldi, Bird Rock, Channel Islands, with the Vision, last November

Buzzing sea lion, Bird Rock, Santa Catalina Island, with the Vision

Large male California Sheephead in a Channel Islands kelp forest with the Vision, last November.

                                          Giant Kelpfish, Channel Islands

Horned Shark, Channel Islands

Giant Black Sea Bass, over 400 lbs, I'm sure.   I've wanted to encounter and photo these for years, finally had encounters worthy of pictures this year!

                                           Beautiful lingcod, December 30, on the Pinnacles, Carmel Bay, my last                                                dives of the year.

A photogenic male Cabezon guarding his mate's eggs on the Pinnacles on my last day of diving for the year.

To see a greater selection of my favorite dive photos of the year, please go to:

https://charlieschaffersdivephotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/8