Fun, long dive at Pescadero Point November 2, 2018

Greg Hoberg and I went out for a second day of diving since visibility was so good the day before.  Conditions were rougher than we expected, especially rounding Cypress Point to enter Carmel Bay.  In order to find reasonably calm water we tucked in behind the wash rock off Pescadero Point, aka Fire Rock, for its colorful benthic sealife.  We enjoyed 30 to 50 ft of visibility, 50 degree temperature, and had a very long one hour, six minute dive because we spent a lot of time up shallow around Fire Rock.  Below are some of the many pictures I took on this dive, for more, please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oLpaN9PgmqT9SYTE9

                                 We had excellent visibility, especially for this site.

                        It's Cabezon mating and egg guarding season, a favorite time for me because I really enjoy photoing these fish.

                  Beautiful young Lingcod

 We were briefly visited by a curious sea lion.

Male Kelp Greenling, it was chasing off a rival male from its territory.

Black and Yellow Rockfish and a Sea Lemon Nudibranch

We were sorry to see a sea star dying of wasting disease, we hadn't seen this in awhile.  Hope it isn't the start of another epidemic.

Rose Nudibranch, a second in the background.  About 3 inches across.  Can't tell which end is which!

                            Beautiful Giant Green Anemones

Orange and White, aka Clown, Nudibranch, about 5 inches long

In natural light, it's easy to see how Greg just swam right past the beautiful, well camouflaged Cabezon just left and below center in the picture.  See it?

Here's the Cabezon well lit by my strobe flash.  He (the male Cabezon guard the eggs the female lays) is guarding eggs just under his chin and just in front of him.

    Male Cabezon and the large mass of greenish eggs he is guarding.

                  Greg getting a closeup of the Cabezon.

Tomorrow I drive down to Santa Barbara for six days of diving in the Channel Islands!