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!!