Two Very Good Dives with Beachhopper II on Aumentos and Shale Island June 29, 2024

A very good outing with Guy Foster. Our first dive was a bit inside Point Pinos, off Chase Reef, at an excellent site called Aumentos. Visibility was decent, about 20 ft, water temperature chilly, about 49 F. Had a couple nice encounters with a Cabezon, always one of my favorite local subjects. Below are some pictures from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jfPGeTWy6N6KazDF7

Below, large rock structure typical of Aumentos with a Gopher Rockfish:

Below: Guy taking photos

Above: Striped Seaperch Below: Large Masking Crab

Below: The star of the dive, a Cabezon.

Our second dive was back inside the Bay off Del Monte Beach on a site called Shale Island, renowned for rich invertebrate life, a large navy style ship's anchor, and Yelowfin Fringeheads. I had a cool encounter with a large sculpin, a Coralline Sculpin, I believe, and a cooperative male (that's almost an oxymoron, like responsible MAGA Republican) Kelp Greenling, and an uncommon (for me at least) type of nudibranch. Below are some photos from the dive, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VjUmmzRD9HDFoGFK6 Below: Beachhopper II's anchor, which is always a very welcome sight at the end of a dive so that you can surface at the boat. Frequently the anchor line is adorned wit a flashing strobe or two making it much easier to find your way back to it. Since you make a 3 minute safety stop at 20-15 ft on the way back up its really a comfort to hand off the anchor line.

Below: A Fish Eating Urchina sea anemone

Below: White Sea Cucumbers with Scaleside Piddock Boring (they like to dig into the soft shale rock, not a reflection on their personalities) clams (the tubes you see), a sampling of the site's rich invertebrate life

Below: Wart-Neck Piddock Boring Clams in foreground, in background, the typically shy Bluebanded Ronquil common on this site.

Below: A more cooperative Bluebanded Ronquil

Next I had a nice interaction with (I'm pretty sure) a Coralline Sculpin, about 5-6 inches long. The encounter even included Candy-Striped Shrimp. Below:

Guy hunting for Timmie, the Yellowfin Fringehead (he got some nice shots of him!), below:

Below: Blue Rockfish

Below: What kind of Nudibranch is this one (white slug above the Wart-Necked Boring Piddock Clam)? I saw several of this species on this dive. Frequently nudibranchs of one particular type become momentarily common at the same time and then disappear again for awhile.

Below: Interesting grouping of sea anemones

Below: An unusually patient, cooperative, male Kelp Greenling

Below: a beautiful isolated white sea anemone

Two very good dives and, amazingly, I actually stayed dry in my drysuit, again!!!!