Fun Dive with Sea Lions at Eric's Pinnacle and plentiful Cabezon at Metridium Mountain with Beach Hopper II December 16,2023

Guy Foster, Tessa, and I went out for two great dives with Beach Hopper II last Saturday. The ocean was calm with just a small, but long period, swell running which did give us some surge on our dives. On the way out to our first dive site we saw Puffins along with all the usual sea birds and sea otters. Up ahead MaryJo spotted a large pod of Risso's Dolphins and we briefly stopped to enjoy their antics. MaryJo took us on to Eric's Pinnacle for our first dive. As we approached there was a group of sea lions intensely interacting with some porpoising and lots of splashes, then also slaughtering hapless juvenile Mola Molas. Happily when I got down on the site I was entertained by the still playful and curious sea lions. Visibility varied from 10 to 30 ft, 53 degrees. Below: Looking up at Eric's Pinnacle with a sea lion up above.

Below: I parked by myself off one end of the pinnacle as was swarmed by enthusiastic playful sea lions, great fun!

Below: Masking Crab

Below: I'm used to seeing Blacksmith's down in the Channel Islands, not in Monterey Bay. Someone posted a picture of a spiny lobster at Point Lobos last week. Seems sealife is less confused about the reality of global warming than many people...

Below: More sea lion antics made for a very fun dive!

MaryJo had difficulty, a rarity because its the first time in many trips I've made with her on Beach Hopper II, so there was some delay while our support diver went down and freed up the anchor chain. Our second dive was on Metridium Mountain. Below, Metridium Mountain is well named.

My favorite local fish subject for photos are Cabezon and I enjoyed encountering several on this dive, one was the largest I've seen in some time. Below:

Below: Lingcod

Cabezon have amazing camouflage, all too often you happen upon them and scare them away before you know they are there. In this case I took the first photo with natural light and then a second with my strobe firing. Below:

Below: I showed one of my fellow photographers the large Cabezon atop Metridium Mountain

Below: Guy shooting Macro

Here's the link to my "Fun with Sea Lions" dive at Eric's Pinnacle to see more photos from this dive: https://photos.app.goo.gl/r2pY4sQBCabwY1qNA Here's a link to my photos from a very good dive on Metridium Mountain: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9nTGvUPhiGvvHBXH9