Very Good Dives on the Inner Pinnacle and Octopus Reef with Sanctuary March 16, 2019

I had two very enjoyable dives with Sanctuary out of Monterey last Saturday.  Sea conditions were excellent with sunny skies.  On the way down to Carmel Bay we saw 6 Gray Whales, headed back north, as we rounded Cypress Point.  Our first dive site was the Inner Pinnacle, a beautiful site with large canyons and rock structure.  We had 50 ft of vertical visibility and easily 30 ft horizontal.  I hit 47 degrees at a depth of 75 ft but stayed comfortable with a new extra heavy thermal jacket added to my usual drysuit undergarments.  Just as well, next week I'll be diving at God's Pocket in BC with 41 degree water temperature.  Below are some photos from this dive, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EhbeNtRXfUdsgzAA8

The main canyon at the Inner Pinnacle averages about 35 ft high, the floor of the canyon is from 60 to over 80 ft deep.  You can see we had great light and visibility!

                                        Still far too many sea urchins so little winter kelp.

    Yes, I would say there was a plethora of Blue Rock Fish, missing their sheltering kelp, no doubt.

                               The invertebrate life on the Inner  Pinnacle is very rich and dense.  I always look forward to seeing a Cabezon.

          I was happy to see some healthy Spiny Stars and a few stands of Palm Kelp

                                                   Back up the anchor chain for my safety stop at 20ft.


Our due to rising wind from the NW our second dive was back inside Monterey Bay near Lover's Point at a new site called "Octopus Reef".  Visibility was only about 10 ft, or, as one diver explained to me a "Brooklyn 20 ft", which he explained as "look over your left shoulder, you can see 10 ft, look over your right shoulder, you can see 10 ft, so 20 ft!  The site has excellent rock formations but I didn't see any octopus.  I did encounter one of the largest Cabezon I have ever seen, I'd estimate over 25 lbs, his head was enormous.

                                Yellow Edged  Cadlina Nudibranch, about 3 inches long.

                                          Sand Diego Dorid Nudibranch, aka Leopard Nudibranch

    Undersea combat between mollusks, a California Cone snail attacks a juvenile abalone

    This Cabezon had a huge head, about a foot across.

To see more pictures from this dive please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aYNSsEUnRri1ZDxw8