Good dives at Mono-lobo, where we had the company of a Harbor Seal, and at Fire Rock off Pescadero Point August 25, 2022

Last Thursday Greg Hoberg and I caught another calm day and took his boat down to Carmel Bay for dives at Mono-lobo and at Fire Rock off Pescadero Point. On the way we were encouraged at the continued recovery of Giant and Bull Kelp on the Pinnacles. The water didn't look real clear at the Pinnacles so we went on across Carmel Bay to Mono-lobo which is right on the edge of the Carmel Canyon (a branch of Monterey Canyon) and frequently has clearer water due to upwelling. Visibility was quite good at Mono-lobo, ranging from 40 to 25 ft, water temp was 50 degrees and the kelp forest continues to be about 2/3 rds of its normal extent. We were entertained by a curious Harbor Seal for much of our dive. Below are some photos from this dive, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/itLLzSwpVEU3JTE7A

Above: Gopher Rockfish and a large Vermilion Rockfish

Above, Egg Yolk Jellyfish. Below, Greg with Egg Yolk Jellyfish

A curious adult sized Harbor Seal joined us for much of the dive (above and below):

Safety stops are better in a kelp forest! Our second dive was on colorful (underwater) Fire Rock off Pescadero Point. Visibility was 20 to 25 ft. The kelp foest is recovering well between Fire Rock and shore but there are still large areas of urchin barrens off the eastern face of Fire Rock. Below are some photos from this dive, for more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wUbrq9qnFMoCqaiy7

Above: Though the kelp is slowly recovering on the shore (northwestish) side of Fire Rock, there are still way too many sea urchins and urchin barrens.

Above: The wask rock off Pescadero Point is known as Fire Rock because of the very colorful, dense, inbertebrate life on its rocks.

Above: After the sea star wasting disease in 2013 in addition to the resulting plague of sea urchins due to the disapperance of their major predators, there was also an explosion in mussels because the large starfish which decimate them, were gone. Now large starfish are back on the scene. Above is an entire rock face which had been filled with mussels but is now stripped. The second photo is the huge pile of mussel shells on the bottom below it.

Above: Until it moves its almost impossible to see the decorator crab right above the sea urchn on the left, encrusted in sponge.

Above: Another well camouflaged decorator crab Below: More views of the seascape of Fire Rock. The visibility wasn't excellent but the natural light was much better than normal because of the surrounding urchin barrens.

Deeply chilled it was time to call it a day!

Mono-lobo and a new dive site, South Moss Beach August 18, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught another very calm day and took his boat from Monterey Breakwater launching ramp around the Monterey Peninsula to Mono-lobo for our first dive. It was very calm so we made excellent time getting down there. We had an average of about 25 ft of visibility and water temp of 50 degrees. We saw a couple juvenile Ling Cod but no large ones and no Cabezon. Also saw only one Pacific Greenling. We saw the usual assortment of rockfish. The Kelp forest continues its gradual recovery, it's about 70% of its normal extent. Below are some photos from this dive, you can see the rest at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hroxovT41fG4m2367

Filter feeding sea cucumber

I'm pleased with this photo of either a Copper or Gopher Rockfish

Nudibranch orgi with egg string. When we surfaced from our first dive we noticed the breeze was growing, as forecast, so we up anchored and sped back towards Monterey Bay before the wind chop grew. We decided to dive a couple of acre sized giant kelp forest just off the beach on the north side of Point Joe. There were about a hundred Souther Sea Otters in the kelp forest watching us as we anchored, we hoped they'd visit us during the dive but they didn't. Depths were around 40 ft, scattered large rocks all sprouting kelp. Visibility was 15 to 20 ft. Below are some photos from the dive, a couple more are at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NPqimuKYhZG1Uajd6

Two Good Dives on Mono-lobo and at Cypress Point July 26, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught a very calm day on Tuesday, July 26 and took his boat to Carmel Bay where we dived at Mono-lobo for the first dive and then on the inner wash rocks off Cypress Point. Visibility was very good at Mono-lobo, 25 to 35 ft, more like 15 to 20 ft at Cypress Point. Below are some photos from our first dive, to see the rest go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/B2fnGUdK3UCXiAQb8

This Gopher Rockfish posed nicely!

The kelop forest continues to recover at Mono-lobo but there are still too many urchins on part of it, creatin small "urchin barrens". Our second dive was on the inner wash rocks off Cypress Point. Below are some photos from the dive, for more, go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uio2myimV1vjqL46

I was pleased to see several large Spiny Sea Stars, they should help with sea urchins

Kelp Rockfish

Nudibranch laying eggs, wish I could have gotten a better picture, I took several, this was the best....

Below: We were buzzed by a curious sea lion. Greg had a visit from a really big Sea Otter but I didn't get close enough to get a picture.

Good dive on Mono-lobo July 12, 2022

Greg Hoberg and I caught a nice calm day and took his RIB around the Monterey Peninsula to Carmel Bay. We stopped and looked at the Pinnacles and were very pleased to see that the Bull Kelp that had been gradually re-colonizing the Pinnacles was now joined by a significant amount of Giant Kelp. The total kelp is now about half of summertime normal. We were also glad to see a large group of sea otters parked in the kelp. We decided to take advantage of the calm conditions and cross the bay to Mono-lobo. As soon as we left the Pinnacles we saw large numbers, at least a couple of hundred, Risso's Dolphins, including several of the smallest calfs we'd every seen, maybe 3.5 ft long. Next we started seeing lots of Pacific White-sided Dolphin, eager to play in our boat's wake and in its bow wave. Mono-lobo has a lot of kelp, both Bull and Giant, but still only 60% or so of normal. We could see that the water was quite clear and we had 40 ft visibility on our dive, 51 degrees temperature. Below are some photos from our dive, you can see more at:

Greg retrieves our anchor from a crevass between huge bolders that I had managed to drop the anchor into and which would have prevented raising it after our dive.

Though the kelp is gradually recovering there are still too many urchins on much of the reef.

We had a curious Vermilion Rockfish greet us and I took way too many pictures of him.

Gopher Rockfish