Mono-lobo and a new dive site, South Moss Beach August 18, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught another very calm day and took his boat from Monterey Breakwater launching ramp around the Monterey Peninsula to Mono-lobo for our first dive. It was very calm so we made excellent time getting down there. We had an average of about 25 ft of visibility and water temp of 50 degrees. We saw a couple juvenile Ling Cod but no large ones and no Cabezon. Also saw only one Pacific Greenling. We saw the usual assortment of rockfish. The Kelp forest continues its gradual recovery, it's about 70% of its normal extent. Below are some photos from this dive, you can see the rest at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hroxovT41fG4m2367

Filter feeding sea cucumber

I'm pleased with this photo of either a Copper or Gopher Rockfish

Nudibranch orgi with egg string. When we surfaced from our first dive we noticed the breeze was growing, as forecast, so we up anchored and sped back towards Monterey Bay before the wind chop grew. We decided to dive a couple of acre sized giant kelp forest just off the beach on the north side of Point Joe. There were about a hundred Souther Sea Otters in the kelp forest watching us as we anchored, we hoped they'd visit us during the dive but they didn't. Depths were around 40 ft, scattered large rocks all sprouting kelp. Visibility was 15 to 20 ft. Below are some photos from the dive, a couple more are at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NPqimuKYhZG1Uajd6