Good dive at Fire Rock, off Pescadero Pt, Carmel Bay October 18,2017

Greg Hoberg and I took his RIB Zodiac down to Carmel Bay for a very good dive yesterday, despite choppy seas.  We had twenty foot visibility and 51 degree water temperature.  It is encouraging to see some recovery of kelp near Fire Rock though it is still only about 15% of normal, there are still far too many sea urchins.  In addition to a small amount of Giant Kelp, there was a very small number of Palm Kelp on the bottom as well, despite hordes of sea urchins.  We only made a single dive yesterday because forecasted rising winds promised to make the return trip to Monterey miserable!

Below are some pictures from our dive, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iMDW7H4Ao0mFEB763

 Still way too many sea urchins, here are purple urchins (in the past the only common urchin in Carmel Bay) and a red urchin.  Happily there are growing numbers of healthy spiny, ochre, and rainbow stars on this site, too.

 It's difficult to see the good sized camouflaged Lingcod that Greg is getting a closeup of.

                                  The lingcod shifted his position after Greg's flash.

 I got a closeup of the Lingcod then I left her in peace.

                           A pair of beautiful Chestnut Cowries.  There seem to be quite a lot more of these since the numbers of large sea stars crashed following the sea star plague that started in 2013 but seems to be over now.

San Diego dorid Nudibranch with an orange bat star.

    Blue Rockfish like to school in Giant Kelp Beds, at last they have a small kelp bed at Fire Rock again.

             Greg with a well camouflaged decorator crab (next to his hand).

                                        Sea Lemon Nudibranch

                               A large Ochre Sea Star with my hand for scale, it's great to that these Sea Stars are making a come back after the sea star plague.

Two Back-to-Back Dives at Mono-lobo, Carmel Bay October 17, 2017

Greg Hoberg and I took advantage of quiet winds and calm seas to speed down to Carmel Bay today.  We dived Mono-lobo and had very good visibility ranging from 20 to 40 ft with 51 degree water temp.  The kelp bed at Mono-lobo continues to regrow with a good blend of Bull and Giant Kelp and gradually increasing amounts of Palm Kelp on the bottom.  Today we saw several lingcod pairing up to reproduce.  Didn't manage to get actual pictures of "action" though.  Also saw a couple Cabezon and a large curious Vermilion Rockfish and a shy Tree Fish plus the usual assortment of other rockfish.

Below are some photos from these two dives, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aCLWV4qTivdWChO12

                                                Pile Perch

             Vermilion Rockfish

Greg with Lingcod

Greg with Cabezon

Greg and another Lingcod

An amorous pair of Lingcod

Greg and new friend

Greg and Metridium aka Plumrose Anemones

Fun, excellent dives at the Pinnacles and Aumentos with Sanctuary October 7, 2017

Guy Foster and I had two excellent dives yesterday with "Sanctuary" a dive boat that only takes up to six divers at a time.  We first cruised down to Carmel Bay and dived on a site on the Pinnacles called "Outer Inner" because it is the outer edge of the inner Pinnacles.  Our second dive was at a site back inside Monterey Bay about 1/3 of a mile off Coral Street in Pacific Grove.  On both dives we had excellent visibility of at least 35 ft, water temp was 51 degrees.

I was very pleased to see that Bull Kelp is making a strong comeback though there is still little of any of the usual Giant Kelp that has been missing since the sea star plague of 2013 led to an explosion in sea urchins. We were buzzed by a sea lion a couple times on this dive, I managed to focus and shoot it once...Still too many sea urchins!  Below are some photos from our "Outer Inner" Pinnacles dive, for more, please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/p5B8SbWlTOgoSogX2

 Guy "splashes" off Sanctuary to start our dive on the "Outer Inner" Pinnacles.

                               It's a lot more pleasant to have a scattering of Yellow Purple-striped Sea Nettles in clear water!

       Predictably, if a Vermilion Rockfish presents itself, I will of course shoot it.  Notice the beautiful water color and the amount of light I'm getting from the SE on this morning dive in October,even 65 ft down.  The sun is getting lower and very noticeably south.  There was a very long period swell running, actually two, from NW and SW, so when in one of the canyons found throughout the Pinnacles (they run mostly East and West) the energy gets channeled and we'd get shove back and forth 6 to even 10 feet back and forth with each swell.  Have to time your photos!

Guy shooting on the wall of one of the canyons, during a pause in the swell displacement, which is why I could shoot him, too.

                         A big, healthy spiny sea star, hopefully it will help eat up sea urchins of which there are still far too many.  In normal times you only find sea urchins in crevices.  Hopefully the sea otters will make progress, eating the larger ones, too.  Sadly, still no sign of any Sunflower Stars, haven't seen these aggressive predator sea stars in four years.

Still way too many sea urchins, some of them are now sizeable.  They are keeping us from having our normally huge kelp forests, though we are past the low point at last.

A large Sea Lemon Nudibranch (six inches) with purple sea urchins and Strawberry Anemones.

 A sparse kelp bed plus clear skies and clear water equals outstanding light, even down 60 ft.

                  Up the anchor chain to our safety stop, entertained by passing Purple Striped Sea Nettles

Mike (Sanctuary's owner/captain) wisely took us back to Monterey Bay for our second dive in the face of rising (and forecasted) winds.  We tried to go dive the Shale Reef right off Del Monte Beach but the water was brownish green and full of sea nettles, also a sailing regatta was just about to start and would cross our dive site so on (fortunately, it turned out!) to Plan B.  Our second dive was at a site called "Aumentos" just east of Point Pinos off Chase Reef, offshore from Coral Street beach.  At this site you are located where there is lots of boat traffic so it is best if you can find your way back to the anchor and surface at the boat.  We enjoyed great visibility so keeping track of the anchor was quite easy.  The site is a series of pinnacles from five to 15 ft high.  Lots of white Metridium sea anemones, lots of strawberry anemones, a really cool site.  Below are some photos from this dive, for more please go to:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yuQvE5N1dWS8uWa72

 I took this shot as I followed Guy down to Aumentos (depths of 55-85 ft) great visibility, good light!

Guy cruising Aumentos.

 We had beautiful visibility and great light.

                    Metridium Anemone aka Plumrose Anemone, surrounded by Strawberry Anemones.

Yes, I would say Aumentos has a plethora of Metridium Anemones!

                 Guy taking closeups, look t the light and visibility!  Great rock structure at Aumentos.

                          Copper Rockfish

                                      Guy with a Lingcod on his perch.

                                            Lingcod closeup

                                           Guy gets a Lingcod shot.

                     Up the anchor chain for our safety stop with Dan and Kendra, the two other divers on this trip with us.  You can see the shadow of Sanctuary (ha, literally and figuratively!) above us.  Aumentos has lots of boat traffic so you really want to come up the anchor chain to your boat.