Two fun dives with Beachhopper II, Mr Ed and Shale Island June 8, 2024

We enjoyed calm seas and sunshine on our trip on Beachhopper II yesterday. Our first dive was on the Mr Ed site. We had around 15 ft of visibility but it was quite dark at the bottom (65-80 ft, you have to watch your botttom time on this site) and a chilly 48F on my dive computer. As usual, lots of rockfish and a few lingcod and an assortment of nudibranchs. Below are some photos from this dive, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4FQuShjkJ6m9DjWf9 Below: Kelp Rockfish with Metridium, aka Plumrose, Anemones

Below: A Rainbow Nudibranch in a miniature forest of waving Brittlestar arms:

Above: Kellet Whelks laying eggs next to a group of Plumrose Anemones Below: Sea Cucumber tentacles hungrily snatching bits out of the rich plankton bloom

Above: Lingcod Below: Decorator Crab in Metridium

Below: Black Rockfish

Below: Guy shooting in the murk

Above: A larger lingcod Below: A Rainbow Nudibranch laying eggs on its prey, a Tube Anemone

Below: Blue Rockfish

Below: Striped Treefish (rockfish) and a Gopher Rockfish

Our second dive, by popular demand of the macro photographers, was Shale Island with its very dense invertebrate life. Visibility was better, about 20 ft and the light was much better due to the shallower 55 ft depth and reflective botttom. Below are some photos from our dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pnrsEginMSeX6JJ36 Below: Guy and Tessa focused on their subjects

Below: Male Kelp Greenling on his lookout post

Below: Good sized (5 -6 inch) Sea Lemon Nudibranch

Below: Sea Lemon Nudibranch with a pair of Red Sea Urchins

Below: Black Eyed Goby in lower center (about 3 inches long), with an assortment of tentacled feeding Sea Cucumbers above it and above it and to the right, a pair of Wart-Neck Piddock (brown with speckels) boring (as in down into the soft shale rock, not their personalities) clams.

Below: Some wide angle shots showing the layered shale ledges featured at this site

Below: San Diego Dorid (aka Leopard Nudibranch) with a pair of White Sea Urchins, a pair of Orange Puffball Sponges above and behind it, a Colonial Tunicates below it.

Below: A pair of amorous San Diego (aka Leopard) Dorid Nudibranchs

I circumnavigated Shale Island on this dive, keeping the ledge structure on my left, so circled it counterclockwise. I had to keep moving because I'd spent a bit of time searching unsuccessfully for the resident Yelowfin Fringeheads before deciding to swim the entire site's perimeter. I was relieved when I came on the giant "Navy" style anchor on the site, I knew I'd get back to Beachhopper IIs anchor with adequate bottom time and with enough air for my safety stop on the way up to the boat.