Two Very Enjoyable Dives with Scuba Cat, Catalina Island July 24, 2024

I went out for two dives on Scuba Cat out of Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island while visiting there to meet our long time friends Charlie and Becky Steinmetz. Our first dive was off an old quarry at a site called Rusty Shed. Below are some pictures from this dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jnpHwhffrWM2Xd22A The visibility was excellent, around 50 ft, and we had good sunlight so it was very colorful. I was pleased at the extent of the Giant Kelp on the site and the fact that I saw few sea urchins and they were deep in crevices. In Catalina and the Channel Islands sea urchins are predated by lobsters and sheepshead so the sea star wasting disease did not cause as much devastation to the Kelp forests there. Beautiful sea gorgonias are common here:

There were many California Sheepshead to be seen:

Here's a brightly colored male Sheepshead with a female, below:

Below: a juvenile Sheepshead

There were lots of Calico, aka Kelp, Bass, to be seen below:

I saw a very interesting flatfish about 10 inches long, type TBD, below:

There were, of course, the ubiquitous Garibaldi all over the place:

I was pleased to see several lobster on this dive, below:

I realized there were beautiful, but small, about 1 1/2 inches long, Zebra Gobies in the rocks near the lobsters so, thought they are really too small to be good subjects for my wide angle lens, I managed to get one half decent shot of one, below:

Upon returning to the boat, I learned a couple of the other 11 divers on this trip had seen a Giant Sea Bass but it was shy and they were't able to get close to it. I was so hoping to see one or more on this trip... Our second dive was halfway back to Avalon at a site, well named, called Italian Garden. I saw many lobster, the usual varieties of fish found here, and saw a Soupfin Shark that passed between me and shore when I was near shore in 25 ft of water. The shark was shy and just cruised past, I wasn't able to get a picture. Below are some pictures from this dive, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nAJiYhMJ7CeTb2f77 There were lots of lobster, Calico Bass, Sheepshead, and, of course, Garibaldi on this dive, below:

Diving in Kelp Forests with great visibility and good sunlight is always magical, below:

Below: Halfmoons

I came upon the keel of some sunken sailboat, still attached to part of the boat's bottom, below:

A very fun couple of dives! Loved the sunlight, visibility, sea life, and 67 degree water!!

Very Good Dives with Beachhopper II at Mr Ed and VT3 July 20, 2024

Guy Foster and I went out on Beachhopper II on Saturday, July 20, 2024 and had two very good dives. The visibility at Mr Ed was 40 ft, wonderful! Below are some photos from this dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2phTTr9YMbHJL2fc6 Guy and I followed the anchor line down to the site and were very pleased with the excellent visibility! Guy immediately spotted a Lingcod and began manuevering for pictures. Below:

Diving this site is really fun with great visibility. Below:

Treefish (a vertically striped rockfish) are frequently quite shy. I had a nice extended encounter with one on this dive. Treefish have amazing red lips! Below:

A Grass Rockfish with Metridium (Plumrose Anemones) in the background, below:

I saw a couple Rainbow Dendronotus Nudibranchs prowling for tube anemones, which are numerous in the sandy areas on this site, this one was about 6 inches long. Below:

A Copper Rockfish, below:

A nice sized, beautiful Lingcod with a Sea Cucumber and Tube Anemones, below:

Below: A Blue Banded Ronquil, about 4-5 inches long

I saw more Candy Striped Shrimp (they kind of made me wish I was shooting macro instead of my usual Tokina 10-17 mm fisheye) on yesterday's dives than I've seen in all my other California dives over the years, combined! You usually find them tucked into cracks and small crevices but there were many out in the open yesterday. I wonder why, was it the Full Moon cycle? Was it Ed's (the site's namesake!) magnetic personality? They run about 1.5 inches long in the body with long antennae. Below:

Another favorite rockfish is the Vermillion Rockfish, below:

This was a great dive for rockfish, I was excited (ya, excited by weird things...) to see and photograph for the first time, by me, Brown Rockfish. Below:

A final Lingcod then I had to start my ascent due to hitting my no decompression time limit, one of the few times in local dives where I wished I was on nitrox so I could stay longer. Below:

Our second dive was at a site called VT3, we had a spirited debate about whether or not it should be called VT3 Pinnacle or, arguably more accurately, VT3 Rockpile. Photos to follow, including a couple to show VT3's makeup. We also had very good visibility at VT3, averaged about 25 ft. Below are some photos from this dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/E6ST47LCyY6r7iVk9 So, is VT3 a Pinnacle or is it just a rockpile? Below:

A mass egg laying by Kellet's Whelks (they are about 4-5 inches long). Below:

One of many many beautiful Candy Striped Shrimp out wandering in the open. The second photo is a Gopher Rockfish, he didn't know why they were all out an about either.

Above: Black Eyed Goby Below: Shag-rug Nudibranch, this is the first time I've ever seen and photographed this sea slug species, around 3-4 inches long

Below: Ed drawing the Candy Striped Shrimp out!

Below: San Diego Dorid, AKA Leopard Nudibranch

A great couple of dives with Beachhopper II once again! This week Donna and I are off to meet friends on Catalina Island. I'm diving there Wednesday, hoping for Black Sea Bass!