Very Good Dive at Mono-lobo, but we paid for it December Bel12, 2018

Greg Hoberg and I gambled on a slight improvement in sea conditions and the wind forecast to take his boat from Monterey Breakwater to Mono-lobo in Carmel Bay last Wednesday.  The boat trip down was ok, a bit rougher than normal in Monterey Bay, bigger swells than usual rounding Pt Pinos, but then a nice run down into Carmel Bay.    After rounding Cypress Point into Carmel Bay we encountered a very large pod of Risso's dolphins, probably a hundred or so.  They were definitely in squid hunting mode and the entire group sounded simultaneously, we went on to our diving site selection.  Because of the breaking swells we found that Mono-lobo was a better choice than our usual stop for rough conditions, Pescadero Point and Fire Rock.  Below are some photos from our single dive at Mono-lobo, we went back to Monterey after surfacing from our dive due to rising winds from the North, the direction we had to go to get home...  To see more from this dive, please go to:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/bJgFgusRe6uTpuFu8

The top 15 ft or so had lots of tiny bubbles of air in it from nearby breakers on the rocks, once you got below that we had around 45 ft of visibility, water temp was 53 degrees.  I was in my wetsuit because I'm getting the neck seal replaced on my drysuit.  One dive with a wetsuit is ok, second is bone chilling.

A sea lemon or Monterey dorid nudibranch, similar, I forget which has black spots only on tubercules...About four inches long.

                                      Olive Rockfish

 Greg with Vermilion Rockfish, I haven't frequently seen them parked on a rock like this.

                                     Vermilion Rockfish, parked.

 

 The sea urchins are back to cowering in crevices at Mono-lobo, which is why its kelp forest has recovered so well, finally.

Juvenile abalone, about 2 inches across, cruising boldly in the open.

   I always prefer making our safety stop hanging in kelp, one reason being critters to photo...

We quickly hauled up our anchor after surfacing, in a stiff northerly wind trying to push us into the rocks. It was a long, rough ride back to Monterey.  I slept very well that night.